How about some Boobs and Blood

 By Frances Vega

Outside the New Beverly Cinema at the first Boobs and Blood International Film Festival

   
        If you have ever wondered where you can find a place that provides both nudity and gore, then look no further than the Boobs and Blood International Film Festival.
   
        For the first time ever admirers of grindhouse cinema, lesbian vampire flicks and Japanese pink films had a place to celebrate all things weird and outrageous. Fans gathered at the New Beverly Cinema in Hollywood over the weekend to watch special screenings of their favorite B-movie.
   

Selena Gomez on MTV's The Seven

by Rosemary Vega

I was invited to attend a special acoustic performance by Selena Gomez for MTV's The Seven today (09/24) in New York City. Unfortunately, no cameras were allowed, so you guys will have to wait until the air date to see it. But, Selena definitely surprised me. I had heard her singles from her new cd "A Year Without Rain," and although I think they're catchy, I wasn't expecting much from her. But I was very impressed.

Selena only sang two songs; "A Year Without Rain" and "Round and Round," but she sounded great. The stripped, acoustic versions of the songs sounded just as good as the originals, if not better. In between the takes, she sang Pixie Lott's "Mama Do," and told everyone how big of a fan she is. (Not sure if they'll use that for the show!) Four fans got to ask questions, where she revealed she's a huge Cheryl Cole fan. She also said "Rock God," was her favorite song off her new album. Selena was extremely sweet to the fans there, thanked everyone for showing up so early, and made sure to take pictures with everyone who waited to meet her.

'Undercovers' delivers pretty cover but no story

By Frances Vega  

          J.J. Abrams newest series “Undercovers,” debuted its pilot episode on NBC Wednesday.

Courtesy of NBC

        The show stars Boris Kodjoe and Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Steven and Samantha Bloom, two CIA spies who leave the agency after getting married. They open up a catering company and five years after retiring their marriage becomes stale. Then someone from the CIA pays them a visit and next thing you know they are back on duty for a special case. Within minutes of starting the assignment the Blooms remember how exciting the CIA was and the adrenaline makes them feel sexy again. It’s kind of like TV’s version of “Mr. and Mrs. Smith.” Except I never really got into that movie and this show wasn’t any different.

        There’s a point in the show where Mbatha-Raw must seduce a target. Before going in she makes up a nifty new spy term. “Sex-pionage always works,” she says. …No it doesn’t Gugu, no it doesn’t. Just because you’re both attractive does not mean the show is automatically interesting. There didn’t seem to be a real plot to the show, beyond good looking people kick some ass.

        I don’t know what it is about action shows this season, but casting hot people does not mean the rest of the job is over. It was especially upsetting to see that the show was produced by someone who usually does a great job with television. Abrams was responsible for popular shows like Felicity, Alias, and Lost.

        I’ll admit that some of the comic relief was pretty witty, but not enough to keep me watching. My guess is, if you like action and don’t feel like thinking much (if at all), you might like this show.

Wicked on Broadway

by Rosemary Vega

For those unfamiliar with the story of Wicked, it answers the question "Are people born wicked?" Through the story of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West from Wizard of Oz, and her relationship with Galinda, Glinda as we know her now, we learn that in this case Elphaba was not born wicked. Their surprising friendship tells the backstory of their "rivalry" in Wizard of Oz.

"Life Unexpected" Premiere Has Unexpected Twists

Photo courtesy of the CW

By Frances Vega

"Life Unexpected" came back for its second season on Tuesday, with new characters and more plot twists.

The CW’s newest family drama gained a decent following earlier this year and the network is doing everything it can to make sure viewers stay interested.

Last season ended with Cate (Shiri Appleby and Ryan (Kerr Smith) getting married and Baze (Kristoffer Polaha) busting in on the ceremony with hopes of breaking it up. Baze didn’t make in time to stop the vows and Cat, Lux (Brittany Robertson), and Ryan are now one big happy family. At least they seemed happy--for about five minutes.

Fashion's Night Out on Robertson blvd

  The second annual Fashion’s Night Out came back to Los Angeles on Friday bigger and better than the last.

Photo by Frances Vega

        Vogue editor Anna Wintour created Fashion’s Night Out with hopes of getting people to spend more money shopping during hard economic times. There were parties in many major retailers across the world. This year’s FNO was sponsored by the city of L.A. for the first time, making it the first official FNO in the county. That meant more retailers, bigger parties, celebrities, fashion designers, models, and all sorts of other goodies to entice people through their doors.

Will Ferrell, Adam McKay Talk About "The Virginity Hit"

Videos courtesy of Neon Tommy senior entertainment editor Piya Sinha-Roy. Video taken by Frances Vega

New Nikita series fails to engage

Photo courtesy of Ben Mark Holzberg/The CW

By Frances Vega       

      The CW’s new show Nikita made its series debut on Thursday, with a lot to live up to.

        Though many of the CW’s target audiences are too young to remember the older versions of “Nikita,” the basic premise of this show has been done a few times before. The first version was the French film “La Femme Nikita” (1990), the next was the American remake ”Point of No Return” (1993), and the third was a TV series called “La Femme Nikita” which ran from 1997-2001.

The Virginity Hit breaks the mold

Cast picture taken by Frances Vega

By Frances Vega   

     The Virginity Hit, the title immediately makes you think of clichéd teen movies and raunchy behavior.

      I knew what this movie was about before I even checked the plot summary, at least that’s what I thought. I had flashbacks to movies like American Pie, Sex Drive, and Fast Times at Ridgemont High. What could this movie possibly have to offer that I had not seen a thousand times?

USC restaurant off to a good start

By Frances Vega
Photos by Frances Vega

          Most University of Southern California students are not aware of it yet, but the school just opened the only table-service restaurant on campus, Moreton Fig.

        It’s only been open for a week but it already has the potential to become a great place to eat. The restaurant itself looks like a five star restaurant. The bar has its own lounge area equip with couches, marble counters, and friendly bartenders. Despite its expensive look, the restaurant is not insanely overpriced. The priciest dish on the menu is a flat iron steak for $19.50; steak connoisseurs know this is a fairly decent price. I was in the mood to spend money so I went ahead and ordered it. The presentation was very impressive and the steak had a great flavor. Diners be warned though, the duck fat fries it came with were not my favorite. The steak is served with a side of six thickly cut French fries that are slowly fried in duck fat. They’re weren’t terrible, but they don’t taste like traditional fries either.

Modern Family and Breaking Bad Sweep the Emmys

By Tom Dotan

Originally published on Neon Tommy


Change finally worked its way into the Emmys last night; unfortunately the Emmys does change like it does pacing: slow, uneven, and somewhat haphazard.

In the big categories, ABC’s "Modern Family" took home the Emmy for Best Comedy, ending "30 Rock’s" three-year reign.  AMC’s "Mad Men" held steady for Best Drama, and can now claim itself as a three-peat winner.

Iron crosses, God and Guns... Lynyrd Skynyrd is in town

By Benjamin Gottlieb
Photos by Benjamin Gottlieb

 
  
    Towering red, iron crosses peering over a sea of Confederate flags can only mean one thing in Los Angeles – Lynyrd Skynyrd is in town.

       Overwhelming the near-capacity crowd with a heavy dosage of dueling guitar solos and patriotic decrees, the gatekeepers of Southern Rock reminded everyone Thursday night that they still have what it takes to rock a concert hall. Showcasing their latest studio album, “God & Guns”, the two-hour-long performance featured renditions of the Skynyrd staples, including a six and a half-minute version of “Sweet Home Alabama” and a crowd-encouraged cry for “Freebird."