Dave Gee: Life from Right Field

Legendary 80's teen stars, Corey Haim and Corey Feldman are reuniting on the small screen in a new reality tv show. The actors were big business in the late 80's, starring together in a run of popular teen movies, including Blown Away, License to Drive, Dream a Little Dream, and The Lost Boys.

US Cable network A&E has commissioned 8 episodes of a new reality show (ok, they're calling it an "unscripted sitcom"), titled The Coreys: Return of the Lost Boys. In the show, Corey Haim reunites with his old best friend, and moves in with Feldman and his wife Susie to test whether three really is a crowd.
The show will also update viewers on what the pair have been up to over the last decade or two (a string of movie flops, lots of drugs, rehab, and a bit of rock 'n' roll...)

* Zap2it.com: 'Lost Boys' Found: A&E Reunites The Coreys
* TV.com: The Coreys set for A&E return


Meanwhile, from the UK comes the news that cult 90's BBC2 drama This Life is being revived for a 10th Anniversary 90-minute special.
The show revolved around the lives of a group of young lawyers, who share a flat in South London. This Life - Ten Years On will catch viewers up on what Milly, Egg, Miles, Anna and Warren have been up to for the last ten years.

This Life originally ran for two seasons in the late 90's. It created a number of stars, including Jack Davenport (Miles), Andrew Lincoln (Egg), and the brilliant Daniela Nardini (Anna). However, the racy drama came under critcism for its shaky camera style, and its depiction of "casual sex, drug taking, and binge drinking".

* Media Guardian: This Life resurrected
* Scotland on Sunday: From This Life to the next as cult show returns

The latest NZ Herald-DigiPoll reveals voters are less than impressed with the recent antics of the Labour Party. The poll has National in front on 45.7%, with Labour behind on 38%. It follows the weekend One News/Colmar Brunton poll, which had National on 49% and Labour stuck on 38%.

The polls come after revelations about National Party leader Don Brash's affair, and the alleged actions by the Exclusive Brethren. (National now say they won't have anything more to do with them, while Labour and the Greens are planning retalitory law changes, aimed at stripping the sect of labour law exemptions which prevent union access to their workplaces).

Labour's continued slump in popularity comes despite attempts by PM Hillin Cluck, and her strategic henchmen Pete Hodgson and Trevor Mallard, to divert attention from Labour's election overspending saga.


Pete & Trev show off their best dance moves at the launch of an anti-obesity campaign... Hat Tips: Spare Room & Kiwiblog).

The Labour party's refusing to pay back hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxpayers' money which was used illegally to fund a pre-election "Pledge Card". The PM and her MPs continue to deny claims the Labour Party is corrupt. However, the Herald-DigiPoll suggests voters believe otherwise... 51.8% agree Dr Brash was right to call Labour "Corrupt".

Meanwhile, private investigator Wayne Idour has admitted he was paid by the Exclusive Brethren (through a third party) to spy on Labour MPs, including tennis fan David Benson-Pope, chewing gum entrepreneur Michael Cullen, and David Parker.

Mr Idour says he's "disgusted" at what his investigations have revealed about current Labour MPs. Idour told the NZ Herald, "A lot of the information I have been uncovering about the Government is very dishonest, and if the public knew - and they have a right to know - my view is ... there would be a by-election tomorrow." (I wonder how soon before the public does get to hear these new revelations?...)

Meanwhile, rebel National MP Brian Connell, charged by colleagues with leaking the information about Dr Brash, was today suspended from the party's caucus. He remains National's MP for Rakaia for the moment, but is considering his future.

* NZ Herald: New poll deals massive blow to Labour
* NZ Herald: Brethren spy hits back at Labour
* Whale Oil: Massive mis-calculation by Clark

Yarr, it be Tuesday September 19th me hearties... This harrr is officially 'International Talk Like a Pirate Day'! Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!

Avast me hearty mateys! Shiver me timbers! Fer today, ensure ye dress up in yer best Pirate hats 'n' costumes, 'n' address yer mateys in Pirate language (begin by starrtin' each sentence with "Arrr, me hearrty")...

* The Original Talk Like A Pirate Day website
* How To Be Speakin' Pirate-Like (Talk Like A Pirate Day UK)
* Dave Gee's Blog translated into Pirate-speak

Congratulations to Stagedoor Manor alumn Sebastian Stan, whose new movie The Covenant opened at the US box office on Friday in first place, with an estimated first day take of $3.15 million.

Sebastian attended Stagedoor Manor for a number of seasons, and was there in my first year at the theatre camp (2000). He's previously appeared in the film version of the off-broadway musical Tony 'n' Tina's Wedding, the movie Red Doors, and an episode of Law and Order.

In this horror/thriller movie The Covenant, he plays the role of Chase Collins, a new transfer student at an elite New England bording school. Four students have been born with special powers thanks to their ancestors, but the mysterious arrival of Chase threatens to break their covenant of silence.
The talented Stan had to do a lot of his own stunts (overcoming his fear of heights ;-) and get used to acting against a green screen, with a lot of special effects added later. It's been tipped by some as a modern day version of The Lost Boys (and I'm sure Sebby would be happy if it helped launch the same sorts of careers as the actors in that movie!)

Sebastian's already shot his next movie, The Architect (starring Anthony LaPaglia and Isabella Rossellini), which is due in US theatres in December. He'll also appear in Fred Durst's (Limp Bizkit) directorial debut, The Education of Charlie Banks, due out next year.

In the meantime... if you're in the States, go see The Covenant this week and help it secure a healthy #1 box office result for the week. (It's not due for release here in New Zealand until November though, and those in the UK will have to wait until early December).



* ComingSoon.net: Stan Flies High in The Covenant
* UnderGroundOnline: The Covenant Set Visit
* Bloody-Disgusting.com - Interview with The Covenant stars, Sebastian Stan & Steven Strait

* Horror.com: The Covenant - Interview with Sebastian & Steven
* SciFi.com: The Covenant - Interview with Director & Cast

Currently in San Francisco... We arrived here on Friday, and spent yesterday doing a bus tour of the city, checking out the major sights like the Golden Gate bridge before heading over to Alcatraz on the ferry in the afternoon.
On my way to the infamous Alcatraz Island...

Dave tests out solitary confinement at Alcatraz

Today we're out south in San Mateo, spending the day with Kelly's family and friends... We met her Mom when she was over seeing 'Beauty and the Beast' a few months back, and she said we should come visit. (She's probably regretting it now that 7 Kiwis have arrived on her doorstep!)

Kelly's Mom (Carolyn) and Romero took us out to Stanford University for a look around the campus there, and then we nipped by the Stanford Mall for some souvenir t-shirts and stuff... We also made a quick stop into the Abercrombie & Fitch store there to pick up a few more supplies (it would have been rude not to ;-)

Prior to San Fran, we spent a week in New York City. We stayed in a budget hotel right on Times Square called the Hotel Carter (well known to us summer campers!)... not the flashest place you've ever seen, but it's cheap and super close to everything.

Cool! Kiwi cops don't carry guns like that! ;-)

We did a bunch of touristy things like the Statue of Liberty, as well as a heap of shows... Best of the bunch were 'The Drowsy Chaperone' (kindof a piss-take 1920's style musical), plus Wicked and Avenue Q. Disney's Tarzan was visually pretty spectacular and impressive, but the music and show were a little bit 'pants' (ie. not that flash ;-)

Saw Monty Python's Spamalot again... It wasn't nearly as good as last year, but the others still enjoyed it...
A lot of time was also spent shopping around the city... Checked out the big 4-storey Abercrombie & Fitch store on Fifth Avenue (which only opened late last year), and also spent a lot of time in Steve & Barry's University Sportswear.

The Stephon Marbury (NY Nicks) range of shoes and clothing ("Starbury") had just been launched thru S&Bs, and there were huge lines every morning for the shoes (the Starbury One hightop basketball shoes sold out within 15 minutes every day!).

I stood in line a couple of days, but missed out each time on the Starbury Ones.... I did tho manage to get some black and white lowtop sneakers, and some tan casuals, plus some t's and trackies.

Also managed to catch up with a few friends in the city over the week... Three Polish mates from Stagedoor Manor summer camp days - Radek, Michael, and Alicja...
We had a great catchup in a bar just below the Empire State Building one night, and then on my second last night Radek and his wife took me over to Brooklyn for a look around there, and a bit of a Polish meal.

We also caught up with a couple of former Stagedoor campers who are doing well for themselves...
Jonathan Lovitz met us after one of the shows - he's here in rehearsals for the national tour of 'Joseph'... he's about to leave for a ten month nationwide tour (he's playing Naphtali and understudy Pharaoh).


Caitlin Van Zandt also met us mid-week at Ollie's, a super-fast Chinese restaurant just around the corner from our hotel... she's flat out, juggling her work on the daytime soap Guiding Light, plus dressing at Radio City Music Hall, and a little bit of college when she can fit it in ;-)

Half of our group is staying a few more days in San Fran, while I lead the rest of them to LA for a couple of days of theme parks and stuff... Really looking forward to Six Flags Magic Mountain and Universal Studios!