Josh & Josh are Rich and Famous

Josh & Josh (and Brooke!) Weekend: Juno, West Village, Fifth Avenue; Jack Mackenroth, Ingrid Michaelson, and The Joys of Milk

Last week Josh K.’s first-and-only girlfriend, Brooke, flew to New York from Minneapolis for a whirlwind four-day visit.

On Thursday night the three of us had dinner in Hell’s Kitchen and then took a night tour of Times Square. On Friday Brooke went on a shopping extravaganza while the Joshes worked. That night we met up in Union Square for dinner at Coffee Shop (yum!) before walking to Viniero’s in the East Village for inappropriately good dessert and warm liquor-infused winter drink concoctions. Afterward we went to the theater in Union Square to catch one of the sold-out showings of Juno.

Juno is the story of a high schooler (the brilliant Ellen Page) who gets pregnant by her best friend (Michael Cera, Superbad) and plans to give her baby to a yuppy suburban couple (Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman), and is what Josh and I call an instant classic. It’s funny, quirky, and moving in a subtle way. Ellen Page’s performance is a can’t-miss event. Get thee to a theater this weekend to check it out.

On Saturday we headed down to the West Village for brunch on Bleecker Street and, by popular demand, did the obligatory pilgrimage to 66 Perry Street, Carrie Bradshaw’s stoop. We did a little shopping and gobbled the required Magnolia cupcake in the oft celebrity-laden park across from the dessert hotspot.

Later that night we went to see the new Broadway play August: Osage County. The show, set in one big, elaborate house set, follows the twists and turns of a very dysfunctional family (don’t they all?), and delivers quite a few surprises and great performances, especially in the second and third acts, one of which involves a dinner scene that outdoes anything you’ve seen on Springer (with words flying like daggers instead of the chicken wings and potatoes that usually soar through the air on Springer).

The New York Times called the play "flat-out, no asterisks and without qualifications, the most exciting new American play Broadway has seen in years."

Most people who visit New York want a good celebrity sighting, and that night we had three. First, while in line for the show, CSI’s Marg Helgenberger (Catherine Willows) stood in front of us and chatted with us. She looked great and was very low-key. Second, Jeff Perry, who plays Meredith’s dad, Thatcher Grey, on Grey’s Anatomy, was in the cast of August: Osage County (and was very good). Then, when the show let out, we were right next door to Cyrano de Bergerac, where Jennifer Garner was standing a few feet away from us signing Playbills and looking as dimply and fresh-faced as ever.

On Sunday we had brunch in Hell’s Kitchen and then braved the massive crowds on Fifth Avenue and did Bergdorf Goodman, Bendel’s, and the Rockefeller Christmas display, before settling in across the street at Dean & Deluca (right next to The Today Show) for hot chocolate and more dessert (because you can never have too much dessert, right?).

Josh and I love playing tour guide. After being here for a couple years it really is fun to see New York through the eyes of somebody who is newly in love with this city.

While at a birthday party in Hell’s Kitchen, at Xth Avenue Lounge, Josh and I spotted season four Project Runway contestant Jack Mackenroth. Apparently you can’t throw a stone in this city these days without hitting a PR contestant.

Also, Project Runway spoiler (close your eyes, close your eyes!): Jack leaves the show in tonight’s PR episode. See the dramatic health story unfold tonight on Bravo.

Last night I saw the Off-Broadway show Things We Want at the Acorn Theater. A friend recommended it, and I saw a good(ish) review in New York, so I bought tickets. Directed by Ethan Hawke (I should have known at that point), the play follows three brothers with a sad past trying to get through life in New York, and features a mysterious and troubled girl who lives in their building who changes the course of their lives.

Paul Dano (Little Miss Sunshine, L.I.E.) was pretty good, as was Josh Hamilton (Alive, Broken English), but the show made the mistake countless plays make: They think that lots of scenes with people getting really loud and angry makes for good theater. When they’re well crafted and deftly handled (see: August: Osage County) it can be fodder for good theatrical times, but when it’s just yelling for yelling’s sake it’s a disappointment.

I’m not upset I saw it, but I would say that Things We Want is something that, in the end, we don’t really want that much.

Something we do want, though, is Ingrid Michaelson and her fantastic album "Boys and Girls." A J&J reader tipped us off that we should give Ingrid a listen, and once we did we picked up the album and haven’t stopped listening to her since. Her music has been featured on Grey’s Anatomy, and I’d say the girl is on her way up. Also check out her songs "Overboard," "Breakable," and "Die Alone."

Below is a performance of her song “The Way I Am.”

P.S. Is anyone else loving the hilarious user comments on Amazon.com’s listing for milk? Priceless. (Thanks Eric!)

Josh & Josh Exclusive: On The Set of Sex and The City: The Movie (With Photos by Josh K!)

Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) runs after Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) on her way to confront Big (Chris Noth, far right near Town Car), armed with a bouquet of flowers. Photos by Josh K. taken just after 2 p.m. today.

Whoa! So, Josh K. and I just got back from the Sex and the City: The Movie set. They're filming outside The Bryant Park Hotel (40 W. 40th Street).

At one point we stood a few feet from Sarah Jessica Parker in full (crazy) wedding regalia, as well as Miranda and Charlotte in their (gorgeous, non-matching) bridesmaid dresses. (We also stood close to Mr. Big and Steve, who chatted amiably between takes.)

It seems that we may have been there for the climactic scene of the movie. Here's what happened.

A limousine starts cruising down West 40th, goes about fifteen feet, and then abruptly stops in the middle of the street. Carrie gets out of the right rear door, a huge bouquet of flowers in her hands, and starts running at a tux-clad Mr. Big, who has just stepped out of Town Car. Carrie starts beating Big with the bouquet, screaming, “I knew you would do it!” looking both angry and heartbroken.

Miranda and Charlotte bust out of the limo and come after Carrie, ushering her back to the limo. Miranda and Carrie make it into the vehicle before Charlotte turns around, her face contorting, and yells something at Big before getting into the limo, which speeds off another fifteen feet or so before “cut” is called.

We watched the whole thing three times.

Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) rushes to Carrie (SJP) as she beats Big with her bouquet. Photo by Josh K.

Charlotte (Kirsten Davis) and Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) comfort Carrie as she makes her way back to her limo.

Steve (David Eigenberg) and Big (Chris Noth) chat together between takes.

Charlotte (Kristin Davis) on the set between takes.

All photos by Josh K. for Josh & Josh Are Rich and Famous. If you wish to use them credit Josh & Josh and link to the permalink for this post.

Also, The Sex and the City Movie Blog has picked up our story and pictures.

Ryan Seacrest Has Poor Penmanship

I just wanted you all to know that I am not going to hang on my wall the autographed picture of Ryan Seacrest that cute 'n clever Matthew over at Life Serial hooked me up with.  I know you thought I would.  But I'm not.  Really.  I would never do that.

Naw, naw; he's going on my bookshelf instead.  Right next to my fuzzy velour Lisa Frank unicorn diary that locks with a pink plastic padlock.  Jealous?

//Josh K.

 

Alexis Arquette 'She's My Brother', The 'Spelling Bee' for Adults, Sigourney Weaver, and Anthony Goicolea

A few weeks ago Josh and I accepted an invitation for an event for the upcoming A&E documentary Alexis Arquette: She's My Brother, a film premiering at this year's Tribeca Film Festival.

Apparently Josh and I somehow didn't read the invitation well enough, because we thought we were simply attending a screening of the movie. But on Monday night, when we arrived at an address in the Meatpacking District, the taxi pulled up in front of a chic, high-end restaurant, and we realized we may have gotten in a little over our heads.

If you're attending a movie screening you'd probably just arrive in whatever you happened to be wearing that day, right? So Josh and I showed up wearing jeans and sneakers, sporting a messenger bag and a backpack, expecting a somewhat casual movie-watching evening.

Oops.

Crushes of well-dressed celebrity-looking people stepped up to the restaurant where no fewer than ten PR people and attractive women with clipboards checked in guests. Josh and I stood twenty feet away, our jaws on the sidewalk.

"Oh my God, what do we do?" Josh asked.

"I don't know. Jesus! We are not dressed for this."

"I thought you said this was a screening!"

"I swear I thought it was," I said, now biting my lower lip.

This, of course, was when a black Town Car pulled up a few feet away from us, the back doors opening simultaneously. Marc Jacobs and his (in)famous boyfriend, Jason Preston, stepped out and began walking toward us. Josh K. stared at Marc Jacobs and his newly shorn locks and post-rehab sveltness, and Marc stared back.

"Hey, how are you?" Marc asked.

"I'm good, I'm good, how are you?" Josh asked back.

"I'm good," Marc said. Jason didn't take his eyes off the restaurant. They breezed by us and into the waiting crowd of press girls at the front door.

That was the moment we almost left. How do you go into a Tribeca Film Festival premiere party that Marc Jacobs is attending while you're wearing three-year-old beat-up New Balance Sneakers, jeans that need washing, and sporting glasses and a five o'clock shadow? But alas, after much debate, we decided to go in. Hey, why not, we decided. We'd been properly invited, so why not give it a shot?

We warily approached the door and gave them our name. A tall, attractive blonde stepped forward.

"Are you Josh & Josh? It's so great to meet you guys! I'm Emily. Let me take you in and show you around."

Josh and I looked at each other. They knew us? And now we were getting guided in by one of the statuesque PR girls?

Minutes later we were among the throngs of partygoers, sipping champagne cocktails and ogling the four shirtless models standing at the front door, a la Abercrombie & Fitch, welcoming guests with their tanned, bare, and muscled chests, low-slung jeans, and blisteringly white teeth. (Photographic evidence here.)

A red carpet set had been assembled along one wall of the restaurant and soon Alexis Arquette appeared. Flashbulbs popped and several camera crews, including Access Hollywood, turned on flood lights and began doing interviews.

"I can't believe we got away with coming in here dressed like this," Josh whispered to me.

"Maybe they just think we're 'creative types'," I said. We both laughed. Then we went to get another drink.

This week Josh and I got tickets to see this Sunday's performance of the Broadway musical 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. We've been meaning to see the show for a long time, and we almost bought tickets when Broadway hottie Barrett Foa (the Avenue Q alum) was in the cast, but it didn't work out that time.

Thus, when we heard about this Sunday's special performance, where the cast and characters take the spelling be and bring it to a whole new level of inappropriate "adult" humor, Josh and I were convinced that it was finally time to see the show. Friends have told us that the "adult" performances in the past have been hysterical, so we're definitely looking forward to it. If you're going, be sure to say "hi."

Random Celebrity Sighting #487: Sigourney Weaver

On Sunday morning Dylan and I ventured out of the apartment to have brunch in Hell's Kitchen. We stuffed ourselves with naughty/fun weekend brunch food, and on our way back to the apartment we passed Sigourney Weaver and a male companion (her husband?) walking into Lenny's, a sandwich shop, at West 44th St. and Ninth Avenue.

Sigourney is starring in the new movie The TV Set, which is actually getting pretty good reviews. I thought it was funny seeing Sigourney walk into Lenny's because her character's name in her new movie is also named Lenny.

I know, I'm a dork.

But regardless, I saw her, and she looked pretty good. And tall. Very tall.

She was great in Aliens, but did anybody else secretly love Sigourney in Dave, too?

On Saturday, after Josh K. and I went on a full-fledged shopping spree to get me some new clothes for the magazine job I'm starting this Friday, we showed up at a gallery in Chelsea, with a million bags in tow, to see Anthony Goicolea's new show. Dylan came, too, and we ended up running into J&J amigo Matty and a few of his friends while perusing Anthony's new work. We were really excited to be at the show and get a chance to meet Anthony. Not surprisingly, he was both remarkably good-looking and unfailingly polite.

Anthony is wildly talented. Josh and I have been into Anthony's work since we first saw his book Anthony Goicolea a few years ago, back when Josh K. worked at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. I remember sitting in the quiet of the Walker bookstore with JK, near closing time, flipping through the book and marveling at the photos.

Check out more of Anthony's work on his website.

Britney Shaves Her Head, Home in Mpls, and Regina Spektor

Britney Spears, continuing her campaign to permanently destroy her career, showed up at a California tattoo parlor yesterday with a shaved head and got two more tattoos--a pair of red lips and a pair of pink lips, one on her wrist and one on her neck. (There are so many things wrong with this sentence that it's almost worth stopping here, right?)

I learned all of this, of course, from a front-page CNN story while eating breakfast. TMZ.com and Access Hollywood reported that Britney had also checked into a rehab program the same day, but then checked herself back out. (Maybe she should have stayed in?)

I think the girl's done gone and lost her mind. Anybody else hearing cries for help?

More pictures and details, including photos of the head shaving, from Pink is the New Blog.

Update Feb. 20: Britney checks into rehab (and stays this time).

Update Feb. 21: No such luck. Britney checks herself out of treatment, her second one-day stint in rehab this week.

Meanwhile, yesterday afternoon I headed back to JFK airport after the previous day's travel troubles and managed to land a standby seat on a flight back to Minneapolis. Sure, I almost missed the flight because the security lines were so incredibly long (longer than I've ever seen at JFK, ever), and then we sat in the plane on the tarmac for two hours while the airport fixed a baggage delivery problem, but the important part is that I made it to Minneapolis, and I'm now camped out at the family compound in the suburbs.

I love New York City, but it's also kind of nice to be back for a three-day weekend breather here in the Mini Apple.

I still have that song from Shortbus stuck in my head. I've been listening to a lot of Regina Spektor's "Samson" lately (see below) to see if I can get something new stuck in there, though. In any case, it's nice to be listening to artists who write their own music, sing well, and actually play instruments, isn't it?

Google Maps, Justin Timberlake, Snooze Buttons, and V-Day

 

Google Maps now include subway stations and truncated 3D renderings of buildings, which means no more double map-on-map action.

So fucking awesome.

And, just like that, Google takes one step further toward total world domination.

Justin Timberlake's new music video for his song "What Goes Around" takes a decidedly darker and bolder turn from normal Justin fare, a move which may allow him to continue to grow and try new things. The man is clearly trying to showcase acting chops in this video, a move that follows his turn in four recent movie roles with Edison, Alpha Dog, Southland Tales, and Black Snake Moan.

Scarlett looks flawless in the video and Justin seems to hold his own. After a video like this, I see why the tabloids were going crazy about a possible Scarlett/Justin romance.

Watch Justin's new video here.

Do you ever have one of those mornings where you're just in love with the snooze button on your alarm clock? This morning I think I hit snooze at least eight or nine times. It got progressively worse because each time I felt a little more guilty and naughty about it, but that made it all the more fun to slide back in under the huge pile of covers as it snowed outside. Finally, almost an hour after my normal wake-up time, I zoomed out of bed and sped through my morning routine at warp speed and managed to get to work without being too late. It was just one of those mornings where it was totally worth it to play the naughty snooze button game.

Since it's Valentine's Day, I'd be remiss if I didn't say Happy Valentines to my guy, Dylan. <3

Also, from Josh & Josh to all of our kick-ass readers, won't you be our Valentines?

Celebrity Sighting #253: Paris Bennett

This is how it goes.

I spot a celebrity.  I nudge/hit/text/call Josh H. to tell him the good news, noting the time and place and the celebrity in question's most recent work.  Or, if said celebrity's close proximity hinders my ability to gush freely, I shoot Josh my most urgent-looking googley eyes and mouth the celebrity's name.  Without fail, Josh replies: "Uh-huh.  Riiiiiiight."   I know he's jealous.

But, okay, he at least took the bait.  That's nice of him.  Now he wants me to prove it.  Easy: I just know.  I'm good at these things, I tell him, if only because I'm such an avid people watcher that no one gets within 50 feet of me without my knowledge of it.  (No, really.  I stare quite a bit.)  He tells me I'm crazy.

This happens often.

But, this time, I got photographic evidence.  How do you like them apples?

Above: American Idol's Paris Bennett, a Minneapolis native, and me (Josh K.) at the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport last Thursday.  Bennett was on her way home after performing in the American Idol tour in New York City.  We were on the same damn flight (!) and even sat next to each other at Gate 23 in terminal 4 at JFK.  And, yes – she is indeed just the cutest thing you ever saw.

Click here to watch a clip of Paris perform on American Idol.  Her first album comes out in March.

//Josh K.

Did Something You're Not Proud Of? Blame Your Childhood!

So what's the deal with public figures who've done something wrong coming out with press releases and interviews saying, "I did it because I had a bad childhood"?

Mark Foley, the Republican senator from Florida brought a new twist on the trend when, after instant messages to male pages asking them about the measurements of their penises and showing up at the page dorm late at night, drunk, and asking for some of the boys, went into rehab. Immediately he and his press folks said three things: he's gay, he's an alcoholic, and a priest had touched him inappropriately when he was a child. Foley seemed to be trying to lessen the blow of his inappropriate behavior by saying, "I'm an alcoholic, and everything started because I had a bad childhood and a priest molested me." Alcholism is a tricky beast to battle, and sexual abuse is something no one deserves to experience. But maybe Mark Foley should have taken responsibility for his actions instead of saying, "I'm a drunk, I had a bad childhood."

Same thing goes for Miss Tara Conner, the winner of the Miss USA pageant, who used cocaine and engaged in some publicly promiscuous behavior deemed "unfit" for a pageant title-holder. Donald Trump called a big press conference and announced Tara was entering rehab, but would keep her Miss USA crown because "people deserve second chances," which led Rosie O'Donnell say a few things about all of it on The View, thus beginning the now infamous Trump/O'Donnell public feud.

In any case, Matt Lauer interviewed the freshly-out-of-treatment Tara Conner yesterday, and she brought the same bag of tricks out: somebody had "violated her trust" when she was a child, she said, and it had caused serious problems for her. Matt couldn't get her to say much more, but the implication is some sort of physical or sexual abuse durig her childhood in Kentucky.

So I'm saying this: I understand bad things happen in childhoods, and that they can be very damaging, and they can be horrific and upsetting. But every time a public figure does something they're not proud of, like snort cocaine and get caught, or start coming onto underagers when they're a senator and serve on the taskforce for missing and exploited children, or whatever else, maybe they shouldn't fall back on "I'm sorry, I had a bad childhood." Instead, maybe they could take responsibility for their actions, and then find the number for a great therapist and start addressing their own issues so they can stop using troubled childhoods as a crutch for bad behavior.

You know things have reached a Britney Spears media saturation point when the press starts reporting on how many bathroom breaks Britney takes during a day of recording of her new album. I mean, really?

Meanwhile, is anybody else out there loving ABC's Ugly Betty, especially as of late? Becki Newton as Amanda and Michael Urie as Marc seem to have filled the gap where Sean Hayes and Megan Mullally's Jack and Karen left off after Will & Grace wrapped last year. I love Betty's twelve-year-old gay nephew, Justin. And beyond that, we now have Ms. Rebecca Romijn playing a woman who used to be a man (the former brother, now sister, of the editor-in-chief of the magazine where Betty works! gasp!) mixed into the melee. I'm just sayin': Ugly Betty is a whole lot of fun, and deserved the Golden Globe for Best Comedy Series.

Oscars 2007: The Year of the Ass-Kicking Actress

I couldn't possibly be any more bored by the Academy Award nominations. 

Little Miss Sunshine for best picture?  Sure, it was funny and sort of sweet and Abigail and Toni were outstanding.  I'll give you that.  But it's not so much best picture material.  And Babel?  This year's Crash:  Contrived.  Heavy-handed.  "Gritty."  After a half hour or so, I though to myself "Okay, okay, I get it – Brad Pitt wants an Oscar."   In reality, it's nothing you won't forget ten minutes after leaving the theater.  Exceptions: solid performances by Adriana Barraza and Rinko Kikuchi. 

In fact, most of this year's women nominees give far superior performances than their male counterparts.  This is the year of the ass-kicking actress, friends.  To wit: Judy I-Have-More-Talent-in-my-Left-Toe-Than-all-the-Best-Actors-Combined Dench, Meryl "That's all" Streep, Penelope So-Much-More-Than-a-Pretty-Face Cruz,  Helen Stiff-Lipped Mirren, Jennifer "I'm Not Goin'" Hudson, et. al. gave us deliciously and unapologetically strong, confident women to lap up.  And let's not forget the small screen: America Ferrera, Sandra Oh, and Ali Larter (Niki Sanders – Heroes). 

Hillary, looks like this might be your year.  Go get 'em.

//Josh K.

And the nominees are . . . (with Josh & Josh favorites in bold)

BEST PICTURE: The Departed, Babel, Letters from Iwo Jima, Little Miss Sunshine, The Queen

BEST ACTOR: Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland), Leonardo DiCaprio (Blood Diamond), Ryan Gosling (Half Nelson), Peter O'Toole (Venus) and Will Smith (The Pursuit of Happyness)

BEST ACTRESS: Helen Mirren (The Queen), Judi Dench (Notes on a Scandal), Penelope Cruz (Volver), Meryl Streep (The Devil Wears Prada) and Kate Winslet (Little Children)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Eddie Murphy (Dreamgirls), Alan Arkin (Little Miss Sunshine), Jackie Earle Haley (Little Children), Djimon Hounsou (Blood Diamond) and Mark Wahlberg (The Departed)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls), Adriana Barraza (Babel), Cate Blanchett (Notes on a Scandal), Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine) and Rinko Kikuchi (Babel)

BEST DIRECTOR: Martin Scorsese (The Departed), Clint Eastwood (Letters From Iwo Jima), Stephen Frears (The Queen), Paul Greengrass (United 93) and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (Babel)

It's Baaaaaaaack

Is American Idol really on again tonight? 

I can't believe it.  Two goddamn nights in a row.  And this is only just the beginning, friends.  Our lives will soon become over saturated with the colorful antics of wannabe pop stars.  Only the month of May will bring the end of it.  By the numbers: that's four and a half glorious months of 16 desperate whales crooning and trilling their way to "victory."  (Please.  As if winning American Idol guaranteed success.)

I will say this much about last night's season premier covering the auditions held here in my hometown of Minneapolis, MN: never have I wanted more to take a dull meat clever to the hairy testicles of anyone who insists that Midwesterners are ignorant, talentless hicks.  I'm talking to you, Randy Fatson.  Simon Cowbell: you, too.   Just remember this: the ineffable fortitude of Miss Marge Henderson can kick your whiny little asses.  Watch your backs.

//Josh K.