DT's B&P: They're ALL Hollywood Producers To Watch

Some exciting entertainment tidbits from our alumni film producers...

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Mike Karz (C'89, W'89)'s Sorority Row (as reported HERE on DT ) debuts today.

The film is about "A group of sorority sisters try to cover up the death of their house-sister after a prank gone wrong, only to be stalked by a serial killer."

Past posts about Mike's film projects here

More of my Penn "Film Producer" posts here

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Adding to our "Alumni on Important Lists" series, husband and wife team, Elizabeth Banks (C'96) and Max Handelman (C'95, AEPi) are now 2 of Variety's "Top 10 Producers To Watch".

More Here!

More of Liz's busy actress life HERE

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Check back in weeks to come!  I have a ton of developing stories from Penn alumni film producers!

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DT's B&P: Alumni Dealings with Quentin Tarantino, Russell Crow and John Legend

Transitioning now out of our "Delicious Leftovers" series to bring you some exciting entertainment tidbits from our alumni and undergrads:

• Lots of celebrity dealing with our alumni this week
• She's casting For A new TV show
• She will be starring in a new thriller as a prisoner
• A Hot Los Angeles Penn event you'll want to go to on September 1!
• Free music!
  

Click HERE for the scoop!

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"Reality Hell", the faux-reality show that Lesley Wolff (C'93, Bloomers) casts for, recently debuted on E! (Sunday nights).

"Most reality shows have people looking for their 15 minutes of fame. Reality Hell will have people wanting to give their's back! The reality genre has all but taken over television programming, making stars out of regular people. Now E! is turning the tables on all those reality-star wannabes by staging a show where the whole cast is in on an act to set up one unknowing reality-show contestant. Staged scenarios include an over-the-top modeling competition with extreme challenges, wacky contestants and insane judges and a family swap that will have the mom trying to find a way to escape the crazy Hollywood clan she's been placed with. This summer on E!, Fake is the new Reality!"

I've watched this show and the part I look forward to is the end of the show at the moment when the actors tell the victim they're on "Reality Hell" and the person that is being pranked doesn't know what "Reality Hell" means until they realize all the actors are laughing at them.  It's briliant!

My past posts about stand-up and casting director Lesley Wolff HERE

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Jordana Horn's (C'95) interviews Quentin Tarantino (!) about his new film, Inglorious Basterds HERE

...Jordana also reviews the film for the Wall Street Journal. Read all about "Torah and Tarantino" HERE

...And speaking of Inglorious Basterds, read the early review HERE that Brian Tran (W'10) wrote last May for our Penn in Cannes '09 series

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Elizabeth Banks (C'96) to star with Russell Crow in Next Three Days

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Liz "will play the lead role of Laura, a woman who is imprisoned for a murder she claims she didn't commit, as her husband, the recently cast Russell Crowe, desperately tries to vindicate her."

I will tell you I recently saw Liz in the thriller The Uninvited. Liz definitely plays evil real good... in that she creeped me out real good.   She reminded me of Rebecca De Mornay in The Hand That Rocks the Cradle.

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John Legend (C'99, Counterparts) will be performing at the Greek Theatre on Tuesday, September 1 at 7:30PM.  Join PennClubLA for this fantastic event.  Tickets can be purchased on the PennClubLA website HERE  Come hear great music and network with new people.

+ For more information about his tour, click HERE

+ More of my posts about John Legend and his appearances at Penn HERE

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Speaking of John Legend, Malik Smith (C'10), a similar sounding (undergraduate!) artist I covered HERE is giving all of us his 1st single "Crazy" for free HERE

+ More of my DT Music posts HERE

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Hollywood Bits and Pieces: Their New Upcoming TV Shows & Films

Some recent juicy Penn Hollywood alumni tidbits for y'all...

Click HERE for the scoop!

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• Elizabeth Banks (C'96) has signed on for a potentially recurring role on ABC's critically-praised new fall sitcom, "Modern Family". More HERE

• Todd Lieberman (C'95) will be producing a film based on the comic book "Alibi". More HERE

• Speaking of Liz and Todd above, have you seen the new poster for their upcoming film Surrogates?

• "Harold and Kumar" creators Jon Hurwitz (W'00) and Hayden Schlossberg will be directing the comedy "One Night Stan".   Per The Hollywood Reporter, '"Stan" plays out a scenario about which many men fantasize on the cusp of marriage. When Stan learns his fiancee, Julie, has had more sexual partners than he, he gets her blessing for one night to play catch-up. Unfortunately, his plans for a sex buffet don't come together quite the way he had hoped."'
  

...Actually, Jon will be working on this project with Mike Karz (C'89, W'89), another Penn alum who will be in part producing the film.

My past "Hollywood Bits and Pieces" posts HERE

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Awaiting Her Reunion Weekend, This Penn Alum Gives Us a Walking Campus Tour Down Memory Lane (VIDEOS)

As Laura K. Mack (C'89) prepares herself for celebrating her 20th class reunion at this weekend's Reunion Weekend (May 15-17th), she posted some videos (see below) she took from being on campus during last year's (2008) reunion weekend.

If you haven't been back to campus in a bit, Laura takes us for a walking tour down her memory lane as she reminisces about the High Rises, Locust Walk, and the Quad to name a few of her tour stops. She then journeys into some video in the 2008 reunion tents as well.  I thought her video back into Hill House was most interesting as she attempts to visit her freshman dorm room. 

It seems like Laura has lots of great memories!  She looks forward to reuniting with her class this weekend! (fyi, Laura has organized a Hill House mini-reunion at the 1989 tent this Saturday at 1 pm)

For more info about this May 15-17th weekend's reunion weekend (it's not too late to register!), click HERE!

And be sure to check out

• some of DT's 2008 reunion videos in the scroller above from the Class of 1993 reunion tents.
• DT videos from the 2007 Reunion weekend HERE
  

Connect with DT on

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READ MORE - Awaiting Her Reunion Weekend, This Penn Alum Gives Us a Walking Campus Tour Down Memory Lane (VIDEOS)

Melissa Rivers Explains Her Apprentice Boardroom Meltdown and References Penn (VIDEO)

If you saw "The Celebrity Apprentice" last week, you would have seen that our alum Melissa Rivers (C'89, Tabard) got fired and caused quite a bit of commotion after being fired.

I actually held off on simply showing a clip of the episode without allowing Melissa the opportunity to defend herself. Fortunately I found this clip from her recent appearance on a popular talk show  ...where she did indeed defend herself.

In the clip above, Joan and Melissa Rivers dish why Melissa got so upset. Also, note Melissa's reference to why her alma mater "the University of Pennsylvania" wouldn't be proud of her poor "annunciation and punctuation" in regards to calling contestant Annie Duke a "Whore Pit Viper" when she meant to call her a "Whore". AND a "Pit Viper".  Watch the clip above to see what I'm talking about.

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This Penn Alum Award Winner Has Started His Own International Dance Company

David P. France (C'89, Arts House Dance, Penn Media Summit Creator), my fellow co-winner of Penn's first Young Alumni Award of Merit back in 2004, has just started his own dance company (the "David P. France Dance Company") in Basel, Switzerland and New York City.

David also stars in and executive produced the above video called "Canticle."

On a related note, I thought Marlo Dell'Antonio, the director of this film had an interesting explanation for the inspiration for this film...

"The key element is the music video: which signifies specific movement vocabulary of my style, seen in the staged concert piece Psalm 27 (2006). This duet reconstruction was taught and filmed over the course of 48 hours, in collaboration with the David P. France Dance Company (based out of Basel, Switz). More details regarding the video.

I’d like to take a minute, however, to give my personal testimony regarding the work and why I feel its actualization will engulf a good portion of my life.

Christians are sometimes encouraged to choose a psalm to turn to in times of tribulation. Psalm 27 is my psalm. I heard a version of it performed during my first Sunday mass at St John’s Student Parish, in East Lansing, MI. The summer of 2003 was perhaps one of the most emotionally challenging times of my life, regarding relationships and betrayals. I remember hearing this song and crying, as I watched from behind the pews, because I was so passionately moved by the strength of the lyrics. I noticed the faces of the choir members and thought, “My God, they are so happy! Why are they so happy? I want to know what that feels like; I want to understand why...”

I immediately asked to join the choir after that mass. I began to attend 5 masses a week. I noticed that I felt rhythmically and emotionally moved to dance to some of the songs we performed on a regular basis. I took notes in my hymnal for over a year before the idea to sync 7 of my favorite songs into a dance concert piece arose.

I wanted the parishioners to see what I saw in my mind when I heard those melodies. So many Christians, especially Catholics, see the body purely as sacred and void of engaging the physical ability to worship; that worship is solely through prayer and song. My premise is that the body, along with the voice, can (and must!) be united to give glory to our Creator. Also, that the songs can be arranged rhythmically to insight those listening, not only inspiration, but also, to get up and dance. This is a natural response; there is nothing wrong with it. People need to know that.

The main stanza of Psalm 27 is this:
The Lord is my Light and my Salvation; of whom shall I be afraid?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life; whom shall I fear?

There is no doubt in my mind that I couldn’t have survived some of the trials I've had to face, if I hadn’t heard these words through song. My job as an Artist is to shape and extend this experience through the talents I have been given. Quite simply, my only hope is that this passion I feel can be shared. Regardless, of religious affiliations.

I was attended catholic schooling for 13 years. I didn’t learn a damn thing about faith until I joined that choir. Now, I might be ex-communicated one day for my views on the combination of sexuality and spirituality, but one thing is certain: I will not shut up. Although the continuation of Psalm 27 is only one of several life-term projects I’ve set for myself, it will always be a central part of my being and character."

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How Long Will This Tabard Society Founder Last Against Trump?

When one Penn alum checks in on another Penn alum...

Did you catch the very Penn alumni-filled Apprentice on Sunday night?

Donald Trump (W'68), Ivanka Trump (W'04) and Don Trump Jr. (W'00) were dishing out tasks to the new cast of The Celebrity Apprentice, which included Melissa Rivers (Tabard Founder, C'89).

And although he never made an appearance, Donny Deutsch (C'79) sent someone from his company with a very generous check to buy a single cupcake!

Watch below to see how much he donated and at what point his check finally made its way down to team KOTU!

Other Penn alumnni on Reality TV

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DT HB&P: His Big Job Change, Their New Films, Shows & Channel, She's a Broadway Doll

Some good Penn alumni Hollywood news in my roundup this week:

• Big Wig makes big job change
  
• Mogul announces new TV show
  
• Chairman debuts new channel
  
• TV and Film Producer with 2 new films in the work with big name attached
  
• Actress appears in Oscar nominated film and is now on Broadway
  
• Actress with new DVD out
  

Click here for the scoopage

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Per Cynthia’s Cynopsis, after 19 years with the Sundance Film Festival (he’s been the Director most recently), Geoffrey Gilmore (C'74, Penn in Pictures 2002 panelist) just changed jobs and joined New York-based Tribeca Enterprises as CCO where "he will lead the company's international content strategy, development efforts and brand expansion. Geoffrey will also be a part of Tribeca's Board of Directors."

More of my posts about Geoffrey here

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Rich Ross (C’83, Penn in Pictures 2003 panelist) announces a new Disney channel for boys.

More of my posts about Rich here

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Mark Cronin (ENG ’86) picks Ricki Lake as headmistress of the next installment of “Charm School 3”.

Mark's beginnings in showbiz

More posts about Mark's abundance of reality shows here!

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Mike Karz (C’89, W'89) will produce the film Valentine’s Day: “a love story which revolves around five relationships in Los Angeles, all of which are put through the paces over the course of one Valentine's Day.

Mike will also be producing the romantic comedy “Five Killers” starring Katherine Heigl. Per Screamingdemon, “Story kicks off when a woman meets the man of her dreams while on vacation. Married bliss is turned upside down when they discover that their neighbors may be assassins hired to kill them.”

Past posts about Mike's film projects here

More of my Penn "Film Producer" posts here

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Kate Jennings Grant (C’92, Counterparts) plays Diane Sawyer in the Oscar Nominated film Frost/Nixon.









She is also now starring as Sarah Brown in the Guys and Dolls revival on Broadway with Lauren Graham.

Look for more about Kate on DT in the near future!

More of my Penn alumni actor posts here

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Liz Banks' (C’96) W is now out on DVD

More of my scintillating Liz posts here

More of my Penn alumni actor posts here

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Past Hollywood Bits and Pieces posts here

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DT Hollywood Bits and Pieces

A bunch of Penn Hollywood news happening in film to report...

Click here for this week's scoopage.

Check out our October Contest and win cool swag!

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Mike Karz (C'89, W'89) will be producing Sorority Row, a remake of the 1983 horror film The House on Sorority Row.

Per the Hollywood Reporter,

"The plot sees a group of sorority sisters try to cover up the death of their house-sister after a prank gone wrong, only to be stalked and killed by a serial killer."

The film will star Carrie Fisher (still in negotiations), Rumer Willis, Julian Morris, Leah Pipes, Margo Harshman and Briana Evigan.

Past posts about Mike here

More of my Penn "Film Producer" posts here

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Today, the film Blindness comes out.

Do you remember when Felisha Liu (W'09) our "Penn in Cannes" correspondent reviewed the film from Cannes back in June 2008?

Read her review from back in June here!

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Todd Lieberman's (C'95, Mask and Wig, AEPi) film Beverly Hills Chihuahua comes out in theathers today.

Past posts about Todd here

More of my Penn "Film Producer" posts here

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Set your DVR's for Friday, October 10 when Elizabeth Banks (C'96) will appear on The Letterman Show most likely to promote her Zack and Miri Make a Porno and W films.

Liz also appears in this new trailer below for The Uninvited, a horror film which comes out in January 2009. Per shocktillyoutdrop.com, the film's synopsis is as follows:

"Based on Kim Jee-Woon's 2003 Korean chiller, A Tale of Two Sisters, the story revolves around a pair of siblings who return home to their father after spending time in a mental institution. Their recovery is hindered by their cruel stepmother's obsessiveness and an interfering ghost."

My past Liz Banks posts here

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