HOTTER IN HOLLYWOOD

A Phone Chat with the Cast of 'For a Good Time Call...'

by Hiko Mitsuzuka

In the surprisingly heartfelt sex-com For a Good Time Call..., by-the-book Lauren (Lauren Anne Miller, who also co-penned the script) gets dumped by her boyfriend and is forced to find a place to live in Manhattan while also searching for her dream job. Taking the advice of her gay BFF (a hilariously animated Justin Long), she moves in with Katie (the hilarious Ari Graynor), a shameless, strippercising sassypants who needs a roommate to share a gorgeous apartment in Gramercy Park (an inheritance from Katie's grandmother). 

Reluctantly, the two broke girls suck it up and become roommates, but once Lauren finds out Katie's been moonlighting as a phone sex operator to make some fast cash, things take a turn for the kinky. Seeing this as a great business opportunity, Lauren proposes that they start their own phone sex hotline. Soon they start reaping the financial benefits after cultivating a sizable clientele that consists of a few famous faces in cameo roles (Seth Rogen as a stressed-out pilot, Kevin Smith as a careless cab driver).

HIH got to preview the movie earlier this week, and it definitely proves to be both hysterical and heartwarming. In a post-Bridesmaids world, For a Good Time, Call... represents the next step towards gender equality in R-rated comedy. Rock on, ladies.

And if you want to eavesdrop on a conversation segment with the stars and writers of the film, well, see below...

Ari Graynor: The thing about our movie is, it's raunchy but it's also sweet.

Lauren Anne Miller: I feel that women who watch movies don't see enough stories about real women. [Co-writer] Katie Ann Naylon and I wanted to tell a story of female friendship. Phone sex was a setting we could tell that in. It could be funny and have truth to it.

Katie Anne Naylon: We knew these movies weren't out there. We saw what Judd Apatow and others were doing, how successful those "bromance" comedies were. It did seem like there was a gap there, but we weren't necessarily trying to fill it...The phone-sex stuff is autobiographical more on my end...I worked for a phone-sex company my freshman year in college, in my dorm room, with another friend of mine...People love hearing about it and the idea of "What do guys say?" So for a screenplay that became a way in, a hook, to turn our passion project about female friendship into a reality.

LAM: It was so fun, writing this movie; trying to come up with what the callers would say, what the girls would say.

KAN: We wrote sitting side by side.

LAM: We would alternate writing scenes, and then go through them together...We were falling in love with the characters so much; we enjoyed writing in their voices.

AG: I loved the character arc that the character of Katie has. In the beginning she seems one way, and then your realize that there is a surprising amount of layers to her. She has a lot of defenses up and uses her brash sense of humor as a shield. You think she has all the answers, but she doesn't; she has so much to learn. There was a lot in the character that I related to.

LAM: Katie and decided that we should both be producers, that I would star in it, and that we would make it independently, because no one wanted to --

LAM and KAN: -- take a chance.

KAN: But women do re-see, re-watch movies again and again and again. Women obsess, and things get a following.

LAM: When you make an indie movie, what you set out to do might not be what happens in the end. There were many steps for us to take in finding how things worked.

AG: Being an executive producer on the movie, it's the first time I've been involved at this level. I've learned so much in front of the camera, and I felt like I had something to offer behind it -- and more to learn there, certainly on the development side...Lauren and Katie and I are all with the same management company. I came on board this movie in early 2011, but I had been sent the script about a year before that. I was told, "These clients of ours have written a fantastic script," and I later found out that Lauren and Katie had written it with me in mind --

KAN: We needed a young female actor who was funny and fresh.

LAM: When we started the movie and thinking "Who can be in it?" I had seen Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist and was quite obsessed with Ari after seeing her in it. She is a rare talent.

KAN: She was the only girl for the part. She has great range.

AG: How flattering!

LAM: We sent her this love letter and begged her to be in the movie.

AG: I read the script and immediately loved it. I found it to be such a smart, funny, unique and surprisingly sweet story about friends.

LAM: She got back to us right away, with an equally lovely letter back.

AG: I felt immediately that we would be kindred spirits, which we absolutely were. Being invited to come on as an executive producer was the icing on the cake.

For a Good Time Call... opens in select theaters tomorrow, August 31.

@TheFirstEcho

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist Premiere Hot Flix by Corey Moore

This week Michael and I had the opportunity to be part of Ari Graynor's posse for the opening of Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist here in Hollywood.  Let me just say....if you haven't already seen the film, GO SEE IT.  Entertainment Weekly gave this movie and A- and features Ari as the Scene Stealer of the film.

 

 We started at The Four Seasons where the driver picked us up and we headed to Arclight in Hollywood for the red carpet where the film's other stars Michael Cera and Kat Dennings were also in attendance.  After the movie we headed to the after party and had a blast.  

 

I enjoyed seeing the film for the second time even better than the first.  Let's just say that what Ari does with chewing gum in the Port Authority Bus Terminal is....well...a feat of brilliance.   We've been saying for some time that Ari is one to watch, and this just proves it. 

Next she will apprear as one of Ellen Page's roller derby teammates in Drew Barrymore's directorial debut, Whip It!, and teams up again with Michael Cera in Youth In Revolt (where she plays Steve Buscemi's girlfriend.)  Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist is in theatres across the country now. 

A Starlet Is Born Hot Flix by Corey Moore

^{Ari Graynor & Eddie Kaye Thomas at Hot In Hollywood 2007}

Some of you may remember the interview we did with our BFF Ari Graynor when her film, An American Crime, opened. Well watch out!

She's about to hit the big screen again in Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. A big new hilarious comedy starring Michael Cera, Kat Dennings and....yep, Ari Graynor. Just from the trailer alone, you can tell how funny she is in this film. She's got a number of movies lined up waiting in the wings......Youth In Revolt (with Michael Cera....and yes, she plays Steve Buscemi's girlfriend), and a new movie with Drew Barrymore. She's one to watch! Check out the trailer for Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist below. The movie hit's theatres nationwide October 3rd.

Ari Graynor... Good Girl or Bad Girl? Hot Interviews by Michael Medico

Ari Graynor has never been average. YEARS ago I was doing a play at the Huntington in Boston and this little 14 yr old girl was blowing the rest of the cast away on stage every night... that was Ari. She played my little sister in that show and she's been an adopted little sister ever since. However, 'little' she's not... these days she dazzles the stage, screen and tube on a regular basis. Her latest preject hitting the airwaves is An American Crime starring Ellen Paige and Catherine Keener. It premiers tonight (May 10th) on Showtime. I snuck in an interview with Ari between her birthday party and jetting off to New York to finish lensing her latest movie... It's the least she could do for a brother!

MM: It seems you play a lot of cer-azy chicks (Law and Order:SVU, the Sopranos) now the conniving daughter, Paula, in An American Crime (AAC)- What's the deal with that? In real life, you are the sweetest! What is your prep like for characters like these?
AG: I think the thing is, either with Paula in An American Crime or any of the other characters I’ve played, crazy or otherwise is understanding where they’re coming from and why they do what they do. An American Crime is so hard because it’s a true story. Obviously some of the movie is fictionalized, but in our interpretation, Paula is 17 yr old girl way over her head, scared, insecure, wanting love and attention. It does not excuse any of her actions, but it’s a little easier to play and I think by not judging your character, you can live more fully in them. Would you say that’s the most pretentious answer you’ve gotten to a question?

The Cast of An American Crime with Director Tommy O'Haver in Park City

MM: Yes it is... the MOST pretentious. ;-) When you had really intense material days for AAC- what did you and the cast do to unwind and shake off the day?
AG: Catherine Keener was amazing on that set. We had a lot of kids around and I think everyone, but especially Catherine felt there was a certain responsibility to be ok for them when we were out of a scene. And, I think the kids themselves helped a lot without even knowing it. They would be so incredible while we were working and just so in it and emotional, and then we would stop to relight or set up another shot, and they would be back to giggling and playing, and I know that helped me. But don’t get me wrong, there were also days you just needed to sit alone or have a good cry in your car on the way home.

Ari and Ellen Page

MM: You are just now completing reshoots on Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist in New York with Kat Denings and Michael Cera... What's something funny that happened on set that we wouldn't know from just watching the movie? when can we expect to see this movie in the theatres?
AG: Ohhh funny things that happened on set…oh god, I’m not good at remembering like the penultimate moment of fun, but there were a lot of amazing times. We all just hit it off immediately, so that combined with lots of night shoots and New York equals a lot of super giggly times. We shot a lot in this van and we filmed into December when it started getting really cold, so we would all hide out in there in between takes. We had a couple of good dance parties up in her, and I almost had an eye poked out at like 3 am when someone (who shall remain nameless) threw one of those hand warmers you keep in your pocket directly at my eye. It was an accident, but that van got quiet real fast.

MM: You're also in Michael Cera's next movie (the name)... What is your character like?
AG: Its called Youth In Revolt based on a really exceptional book. My character’s name is Lacey and she’s fresh out of cosmetology school and dates Michael Cera’s character (Nick Twisp)’s dad. And they have a very dysfunctional relationship. Its really fun, but I still have a lot to learn about her.

MM: Do you like playing comedy or drama better?
AG: I really love both. I feel like each one balances out a certain part of me. After the past year and half of doing a lot of comedy, I think I'll feel ready to get into some more serious stuff for a bit.

Ari with her casts of Brooklyn Boy and Little Dog Laughed

MM: If you had the opportunity to go back to broadway tomorrow (after your two hits: Brooklyn Boy and Little Dog Laughed) would you put movies on the backburner for a while?
AG: Absolutely. In fact I just had an audition for one today. Theater was always my first passion, Ive been doing it now for 19 years. Oh my god. That’s a lot of years. For a long time, I only really felt at home on stage and felt much more nervous on camera, so now its nice to feel comfortable in both places, but I’m anxious to get back

Ari and boyfriend Eddie Kaye Thomas at Hot in Hollywood 2007

MM: Who or what do you think is Hot in Hollywood?
AG: Charades, Celebrity, Mafia

MM: The big question: m&m's plain or peanut?
AG: Plain.

The Animal in Eddie Kaye ThomasHot Interviews by Michael Medico

Yeah, you know him as Jennifer Coolidge lovin' Finch in The American Pie movies and from the FOX hit 'Til Death, but what you may not know is Eddie Kaye Thomas has been acting steadliy on stage, screen and TV since he first appeared on Broadway at age 11 in John Guare's “Four Baboons Adoring the Sun". We know him because he's dating our "adopted sister" Ari Graynor who he met when working on the off-boradway hit "Dog Sees God". And we LOVE him because he was a sport and opened this year's Hot in Hollywood benefit IN DRAG! Now he's starring in ABC Family's "Nature of the Beast" which airs this Sunday October 21st. Check out our chat with him:

MM: What most people don't know, is that it was your idea to get America (Ferrera) to do a # with you for HIH. Whose idea was it to do "You Gotta have a Gimick" from Gypsy with you (and Jerry O'Connell) in drag?
EKT: I first said that I would do HIH in February. At that time it felt like August was so far away that it might never ever come, but sure enough, May turned into June, June into July, and then Michael Medico is calling asking for my cup size. It all happened very fast and the idea to do a number from Gypsy was actually America's idea. Her first idea was to sing "Let The Good Times Roll" and use various rolling objects (Big Wheels, Rollerblades, Tires etc.) throughout the song. She then suggested "You Gotta Have A Gimmick" and that seemed like a better suggestion. She basically had all the good ideas and I just did what I was told.

Our Girl's All Grown UpHot Shots by Michael Medico

Photo by Augustus Butera

Ari Graynor. If you don't know who that is- you're about to get a huge wake up call. Last night Ari (and boyfriend, Eddie Kaye Thomas) came over for dinner and Ari told us she has just been cast as the hilarious drunk best friend in the new Michael Cera Sony movie: "Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist." Ari and I played bother and sister in "Ah! Wilderness" at the Huntington Theatre Company in Boston 10 years ago. Even at 14 she the best thing in the show! (I'm not saying how old I was 10 years ago.) She's been working steadily ever since. Early in her career, she played Meadow's hair pulling college roommate on the Sopranos. Now she's hoping coasts to do major work on both. In New York, over the past 3 years, she's done 2 Broadway plays (Brooklyn Boy and Little Dog Laughed) and the off-broadway hit Dog Sees God. And this year in LA, she shot Tommy O'Haver's movie, "An American Crime", playing Catherine Keener's murderous daughter. And she just finished shooting Brandon Sonnier's (the youngest person to have a film at Sundance: "The Beat") latest film "Blues". She's a heavy hitter in comedy and drama and is sure to be this year's "overnight success". (Yeah, we're proud, but don't think this means you're too BIG to watch our dogs now, Ari!)

Link:
"An American Crime" trailer

Picture PerfectHot & Personal by Michael Medico

Hey we're in NYC! We just came from seeing Xanadu on Broadway and having dinner at Broadway-hot-spot Bar Centrale which was booked but since we were with Xanadu choreographer, Dan Knechtges we got right in. We also went with photographer Augustus Butera and his partner James Warren. I've known Gus since 1994 when I moved to New York in an apt. right next door to him. He actually gave me my first modeling job (Fuji Film) in 1997 and I just did a job with him in Los Angeles last month for P&G. He just gifted Corey and I a HUGE (5'x3') print he shot of Ari Graynor and our dog, Jackson, at our 10 yr. anniversary party in Palm Springs.