Alexander Doll Co. creates Pistol Pete prototype
A Pistol Pete prototype doll designed by Alexander Doll Co. (Photo by David McDaniel/The Oklahoman)
For all my fellow Oklahoma State University alumni and fans, I wanted to draw your attention to this interesting story my excellent colleague Carla Hinton wrote about the relationship developed between OSU and the renowned Alexander Doll Co.
The president of the company is OSU alum Gale Rall Jarvis, who has been working on some interesting projects with the Stillwater university. The company is creating dolls of OSU mascot Pistol Pete and OSU Cowgirls.
Jarvis also has established a permanent collection of 66 Alexander Dolls – from Eleanor Roosevelt to Dorthy from “The Wizard of Oz” – at her alma mater. The dolls have become a popular attraction at OSU.
Click here to read Carla’s interesting story.
Don’t forget to cheer on the OSU football team Dec. 30 against the Oregon Ducks in the Holiday Bowl, which will air on ESPN.
Go Cowboys!
-BAM
Director Catherine Hardwicke making plans for “New Moon” – if she gets the job
Catherine Hardwicke (Associated Press photo)
“Twilight” director Catherine Hardwicke is planning to get the film version of “New Moon,” the second of Stephenie Meyer’s four-book vampire romance saga, finished by the end of 2009 – if she gets the job of helming the sequel.
“Well, right now we’re trying to figure out if the studio people, and me, and everyone’s on the same page,” Hardwicke told MTV News in a story posted today. “I want to do (’New Moon’) better than we did ‘Twilight,’ and do it really cool. I definitely don’t want to do it as something just tossed off, like a ‘Saw II’ or something like that. We want to be sure that it’s really going to be great and that everyone’s on the same page.”
Hardwicke said she has a March/April timetable to start filming, again if she gets the job.
“I would say that the film could be finished by the end of 2009, if not the beginning of 2010; cameras could be rolling in about five months,” Hardwicke said. “We spent about a year and three months getting (’Twilight’) ready, between writing the script and casting. We could probably do things a little bit faster this time, but who knows? It depends. And sometimes you can do things really fast. You can get two editors on, and you can just zip through.”
Hardwicke said that she already has read the first version of the “New Moon” script penned by “Twilight” screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg.
The director told MTV News that she already has come up with some “cool ideas” for the sequel, especially surrounding the transformation of Bella Swan’s (Kristen Stewart) BFF Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner) from an easygoing teenager to a massive werewolf.
She said in roundtable interviews at the “Twilight” junket last month in Beverly Hills, Calif., that “New Moon” will be much more complicated to make than “Twilight.”
“‘New Moon’ is much more expensive than the first book because there’s werewolf transformations, CGI, there’s stunts-jumping off cliffs, motorcycle rides. They go to Italy. So we have to make quite a lot of money on this one (”Twilight”) to be able,” she said.
“Twilight” made nearly $70 million its opening weekend – setting a record as the top debut for a film director. Though its take dropped sharply in its second weekend, it’s still closing in on the $120 million mark – not bad for a movie made for only $37 million.
All this makes me wonder why Hardwicke isn’t already signed on to direct “New Moon.”
Though Hardwicke told MTV News that she is hoping Lautner, 16, grows a bit more to portray the towering Jacob Black, it’s clear that time is somewhat limited to get the saga adapted.
The four books are set in a relatively narrow timeframe and the vampire hero, Edward Cullen (played by newly minted heartthrob Robert Pattinson), and his coven are supposed to be ageless. Summit can’t sit around dithering while Stewart, Pattinson and the rest of the cast ages.
-BAM
BAM’s Blog getting an upgrade
I alluded to this Tuesday afternoon, but I just wanted to let you know, my much appreciated loyal readers, that BAM’s Blog will be undergoing some upgrades over the next few days.
As a result, you may see some glitches in my usual blogging patterns. For example, right now, I can’t include photos with my posts. After the upgrades are over, I’ll try to backtrack and add the photos.
Because of the tweaking, I may have to spend some time offline all together.
I’ll try to continue to post as much as possible during these upgrades, but please be patient. Know that these inconveniences are in the interest of making BAM’s Blog an even better place for you guys to get your entertainment news and my witty, wacky commentary.
Thanks! You guys are great!
And in case I don’t get to tell you later, Happy Thanksgiving!
-BAM
What to do in Oklahoma on June 27
Today’s featured event:
TULSA - Even if you never go to Spain or Shangri-La, you can go to Tulsa to see Three Dog Night at 7 p.m. today in the Osage Event Center at Osage Million Dollar Elm Casino, 951 W 36 St. North.
Tickets start at $30. Concert-goers must be 21 years old or older to attend.
For more information, call (918) 699-7667 or go to www.milliondollarelm.com.
For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
-BAM
Comedy finals on Saturday
The final round in RooftopComedy’s first National College Comedy Competition will take place at 7:45 p.m. Saturday at the Wheeler Opera House in Aspen, Colo.
The competition will be Web cast live at www.RooftopComedy.com/college. Viewers can vote to determine the funniest college student in the stand-up and short-film competitions.
Among the four finalists in the short-film competition is Enid resident Mark Potts, a senior film/video studies and professional writing major from the Unversity of Oklahoma. You can watch Potts’ short film “Icescraper” by clicking here.
More than 600 stand-up comics and short-filmmakers participated in the RooftopComedy contest through 32 on-campus competitions (including one at OU), 16 regional semifinals and two online voting rounds.
Here are the other finalists:
Stand-up comedy
· Kathleen O’Brien, senior English education major at University of Virginia from Montclair, Va.
· Tim Ball,senior sociology major at Duke University from Dallas, Texas.
· Reid Faylor, sophomore biology major at Xavier University from Fort Wayne, Ind.
· Mary Sasson, junior English major at UNC from Pittsburgh.
Short film
· “Icescraper,” Mark Potts
· “Car Phone,” by Dan Perrault, junior acting major at Emerson College from Hingham, Mass.
· “The Breakup,” by Amos Vernon, senior peace and conflict studies major at UC Berkeley from Chapel Hill, N.C.
“Actor Hunters: Ep.1 Pt.1,” by Matthew Schwartz, senior theater/government major at Skidmore College from Ho-Ho-Kus, N.J.
-BAM
Enid native is a funny finalist
A University of Oklahoma senior will compete in the upcoming finals of Rooftop Comedy.com’s National College Comedy Competition.
Mark Potts, a film/video studies professional writing major at OU, is one of the four finalists in the short film competition. The Enid native scored the spot with his short film “Icescraper.”
RooftopComedy, an Internet comedy site, announced Wednesday the eight finalists in its stand-up and short film competitions. Finalists will compete to be named the Country’s Funniest College Students in a live broadcast from the Aspen RooftopComedy Festival in Aspen, Colo., on May 31.
The winners in both categories will be determined by audience and online voting, according to a news release. The finalists were selected after 32 on-campus events at colleges across the country, 16 regional semifinal competitions and two rounds of online voting. More than 600 comedians and filmmakers participated.
Here are the finalists in stand-up comedy:
· Kathleen O’Brien, senior English education major at University of Virginia from Montclair, Va.
· Tim Ball, senior sociology major at Duke University from Dallas.
· Reid Faylor, sophomore biology major at Xavier University from Fort Wayne, Ind.
Short film finalists:
· “Icescraper,” by Mark Potts, a senior film/video studies and professional writing majro at University of Oklahoma, from Enid.
· “Car Phone,” by Dan Perrault, a junior acting major at Emerson College, from Hingham, Mass.
· “The Breakup,” by Amos Vernon, a senior peace and conflict studios major at UC Berkeley, from Chapel Hill, N.C.
“Actor Hunters: Ep.1 Pt.1,” by Matthew Schwartz, a senior theater/government major at Skidmore College, from Ho-Ho-Kus, N.J.
For more information, go to www.RooftopComedy.com.
-BAM
OU student wins comedy regional
Michael Burnett, an advertising major at the University at Oklahoma from Roseville, Calif., emerged the winner at one of the 16 regional semifinals of RooftopComedy.com’s National College Comedy Competition 2008.
Seth Joseph, an Oklahoma City native and OU journalism grad student, was the runner-up in Monday night’s contest, according to a news release.
The guys were among eight OU students who took on students from the University of Arkansas in a head-to-head stand-up contest at the Loony Bin Comedy Club in Tulsa.
The semifinals are the latest step in the comedy Web site’s quest to pick The Country’s Funniest College Student.
Joseph will compete against the 15 other regional semifinal runners-up for the “fan favorite” slot. A special round of online voting for fan favorite will take place April 15-20 at www.RooftopComedy.com.
Burnett moves on to compete against the other 15 regional semifinal winners and the fan favorite in the online voting round April 21-30. Four finalists will emerge at the end of the online voting stage.
The four finalists who will compete in a live Web cast May 30-31 in Aspen, Colo. Viewers and judges will pick who will get the title of The Country’s Funniest College Student.
-BAM
“Semi-Pro” first look
Angi Bruss and I give you a sneak peek at the new Will Ferrell sports comedy “Semi-Pro” in this video. I’ll have more on “Semi-Pro” Friday in the Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman and here on BAM’s Blog.
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