TV Reminder: ‘Party Down’ cast reunites tonight on ‘Childrens Hospital’ [Update: clip inside]

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So get this. Tonight on Adult Swim’s Childrens Hospital the Party Down catering service will reunite! Just because the insanely underrated, ill-fated Starz comedy Party Down was cancelled after a two-season run in 2010, that doesn’t mean the gang can’t get back together again. If you watch the irreverent comedy from Rob Corddry then you should know that the show stars two Party Down members–Ken Marino and Megan Mullally. In tonight’s episode Ron Donald and Lydia Dunfree will be joined by fellow caterers Lizzy Caplan, Martin Starr, and Ryan Hansen. Unfortunately, pending any surprises, Adam Scott and Jane Lynch will not be on hand for the scene. Dr. Glenn Richie (Marino) is celebrating his Bar Mizvah and the Party Down crew show up to cater it.

In an interview with EW, Marino shared his initial excitement on shooting day. “I couldn’t believe all the Party Down actors showed up!” he said. “I love the guy who plays Ron. He came in. He was kind of a d—, actually, in real life.” Funny man! He continued, “We had so much fun doing that little scene. And then we were like, goddammit, why is this show not happening anymore?” He went on to describe his hair dilemma. “We had to try to fake my Ron Donald haircut because I had my Glenn Richie haircut,” he said. “It was too long and looked a little ridiculous.”

Childrens Hospital airs Thursday nights at midnight on Adult Swim.

Update: In case you missed it or want to watch it again, jump after the break for the 35-second Party Down cameo. They ended up sticking it all the way at the end between the credits. But boy was it sweet. Continue reading TV Reminder: ‘Party Down’ cast reunites tonight on ‘Childrens Hospital’ [Update: clip inside] →

New Apple CEO Tim Cook releases letter to company employees

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Newly appointed Apple CEO Tim Cook released the following letter to Apple employees today. In it he reassures them that “Apple is not going to change.”

Team:

I am looking forward to the amazing opportunity of serving as CEO of the most innovative company in the world. Joining Apple was the best decision I’ve ever made and it’s been the privilege of a lifetime to work for Apple and Steve for over 13 years. I share Steve’s optimism for Apple’s bright future.

Steve has been an incredible leader and mentor to me, as well as to the entire executive team and our amazing employees. We are really looking forward to Steve’s ongoing guidance and inspiration as our Chairman.

I want you to be confident that Apple is not going to change. I cherish and celebrate Apple’s unique principles and values. Steve built a company and culture that is unlike any other in the world and we are going to stay true to that-it is in our DNA. We are going to continue to make the best products in the world that delight our customers and make our employees incredibly proud of what they do.

I love Apple and I am looking forward to diving into my new role. All of the incredible support from the Board, the executive team and many of you has been inspiring. I am confident our best years lie ahead of us and that together we will continue to make Apple the magical place that it is.

Tim

[Via Engadget]

Steve Jobs resigns as Apple CEO, Tim Cook takes over

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I don’t think anybody was expecting this day to come for a very long time, and yet here it is. Steve Jobs has stepped down from his post as CEO of Apple. Steve penned this letter for all to read:

To the Apple Board of Directors and the Apple Community:

I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come.

I hereby resign as CEO of Apple. I would like to serve, if the Board sees fit, as Chairman of the Board, director and Apple employee.

As far as my successor goes, I strongly recommend that we execute our succession plan and name Tim Cook as CEO of Apple.

I believe Apple’s brightest and most innovative days are ahead of it. And I look forward to watching and contributing to its success in a new role.

I have made some of the best friends of my life at Apple, and I thank you all for the many years of being able to work alongside you.

Steve

The Apple Board of Directors has granted Steve’s wishes; effective immediately former Apple COO Tim Cook is taking over Steve’s vacated position and Steve has been elected Chairman of the Board. In a press release announcing the news, Steve’s achievements are praised and his new role is briefly described:

“Steve has made countless contributions to Apple’s success, and he has attracted and inspired Apple’s immensely creative employees and world class executive team. In his new role as Chairman of the Board, Steve will continue to serve Apple with his unique insights, creativity and inspiration.”

Tim Cook joined Apple in 1998 and nine years later he became COO of the company. In that position he “played a key role in the continued development of strategic reseller and supplier relationships, ensuring flexibility in response to an increasingly demanding marketplace.” Cook is no stranger to the CEO position; he filled in as interim CEO three times (in 2004, 2009, and January 2011) when Steve was forced to go on medical leave. In his letter Steve says that the day has come when he “[can] no longer meet [his] duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO.” Whether or not this means his medical condition has taken a turn for the worse, I wish him good health.

Though the question on everybody’s mind is going to be Can Apple exist without its leader?, we must take time to realize everything that Steve has done for this company, the technology industry, and the world. Under his leadership, Apple has churned out some of the most innovative products and services for consumers and businesses. He forever changed the music industry with the introduction of the iPod and iTunes, he reinvented the cell phone with the iPhone, he figured out how to make tablet computing popular with the iPad, with Apple designer Jony Ive he set a very high bar in terms of device craftsmanship, and last but certainly not least he pushed personal computing into the future with Mac OS X. Steve Jobs is synonymous with Apple. Whether or not the company will continue to be as successful as it has become over the years under new leadership remains to be seen. Cook has been with the company long enough alongside Steve for me to reside full faith in his ability to carry the company and Steve’s magical legacy onward. As Chairman of the Board, Steve will continue to guide Cook and the company on right path.

In 1985 Steve said this: “I’ll always stay connected with Apple. I hope that throughout my life I’ll sort of have the thread of my life and the thread of Apple weave in and out of each other, like a tapestry. There may be a few years when I’m not there, but I’ll always come back.” No matter what happens to Steve his sheer genius and passion for the development of how we interact in the world will always be apart of Apple’s DNA. Steve, we’ll miss you at the top and we’ll never forget all of your invaluable contributions.

Continue reading Steve Jobs resigns as Apple CEO, Tim Cook takes over →

Short film: ‘Portal: No Escape’

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Whether or not you’ve played the innovative video game from Valve known as Portal doesn’t matter here. This short from LA-based filmmaker Dan Trachtenberg fuses top notch cinematography with a gritty, pulsating score that will blow you away. If you’ve played the game and know your Portal lore, there’s no question that you’ll fully embrace the Chell-like female protagonist and her quest to escape from the shackles of Aperture. The CGI work is fantastic and actress Danielle Rayne will pull you in and never let go for the five-and-half-minute duration. It’s guaranteed that by the end of the film you’ll be foaming at the mouth for more. In less than one day the video has gone viral–it’s nearing 700,000 views. With such a large fanbase formed already, it’d surprise me if Trachtenberg never returned for a second installment.

Portal the movie would be hard to manufacture for mass audiences due to lack of dialogue (GLaDOS is noticeably absent here), but as Trachtenberg has proven it can work wonders in the short film space. Has Valve got wind of this? Do I smell a Portal web series in the works? I’ll keep you posted.

Now flick on HD, turn up the volume, and mash play!

The cast of ‘Glee’ celebrates Fashion’s Night Out (video inside)

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New Directions (sans Naya Rivera, Amber Riley, and coach Matthew Morrison) star in this stylish video celebrating Fashion’s Night Out, the annual shopping event that takes place in NYC’s trendy district SoHo. The idea for the video was born out of Vogue’s Anna Wintour; in it the cast of Glee covers the classic 1980 David Bowie song “Fashion.” Jane Lynch as Sue Sylvester pops up to play dress-up, too.

Catch the video after the break.

FNO kicks off September 8; get event details here. Glee returns September 20 on FOX. Continue reading The cast of ‘Glee’ celebrates Fashion’s Night Out (video inside) →

OK Go & The Muppets star in the “Muppet Show Theme Song”

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Are you ready to watch the most sensational, celebrational, inspirational video you’ll seen all day? Well this is it.

Viral video sensation and alt rock band OK Go have teamed with The Muppets to make a music video for the classic opening theme song from The Muppet Show. When something goes terribly awry with their musical time machine, OK Go is sent back to revisit some of their classic music videos. Bunsen and Beaker crash the set of “Here It Goes Again,” Kermit, Monster, Gonzo, and Fozzie make their way into the band’s newest clip “All Is Not Lost,” and Gonzo and Camilla try to recreate the Rube Goldberg-inspired “This Too Shall Pass.” Later on the video pokes fun at the canine-infested “White Knuckles.” In addition to all this music video time travel, the clip also includes the Muppets doing what they do best: wreaking havoc and having a good time. And when Crazy Harry makes everything go boom, a laugh-out-loud dream sequence closes out the video. Mash play and enjoy this colorful rendition of the classic kid’s tune.

The Green Album—a collection of covers of Muppets songs by artists like The Fray, Weezer, and My Morning Jacket–is out now, and the Muppet movie starring Jason Segel and Amy Adams hits theatres November 23.

FX ready to tell ‘American Horror Story’ (poster & teaser inside)

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Earlier this summer FX picked up a 13-episode order for its next original drama series. American Horror Story comes from Nip/Tuck creator Ryan Murphy and his Nip/Tuck and Glee collaborator Brad Falchuk. Deadline reports: “Described as a psychosexual thriller, [the show] centers on a therapist and his wife who, dealing with the aftermath of the husband’s adultery, move along with their kids into a new house that seems to know all about their fears and plays on them.” Now check out this all star cast extracted from a press release:

American Horror Story revolves around The Harmons, a family of three who move from Boston to Los Angeles as a means to reconcile past anguish. The All Star cast features Dylan McDermott (The Practice) as “Ben Harmon,” a psychiatrist; Connie Britton (Friday Night Lights) as “Vivien Harmon,” Ben’s wife; Taissa Farmiga as “Violet,” the Harmon’s teenage daughter; Jessica Lange (Tootsie, Blue Sky, Grey Gardens) in her first-ever regular series TV role as “Constance,” the Harmon’s neighbor; Evan Peters (One Tree Hill) as “Tate Langdon,” one of Ben’s patients; and Denis O’Hare (The Good Wife) as “Larry Harvey.” Guest stars for the series include Frances Conroy (Six Feet Under) and Alexandra Breckenridge (Dirt) as the Harmon’s housekeepers; and Jamie Brewer as Constance’s daughter.

AHS promises to be an extremely chilling TV series with intention to genuinely frighten audiences. Murphy describes it as a “feel-bad” show, as opposed to his “feel-good” show Glee. He and Falchuk were inspired by classic horror films Rosemary’s Baby and Don’t Look Now. Industry members who have seen the pilot were spooked and amazed by its originality.

Says FX president John Landgraf: “We’re thrilled to welcome Ryan and Brad back to their original home. They have shown an uncanny ability to bring original series to the air unlike any that have come before, and to reconcile ’wildly entertaining’ with the ’creatively ambitious.’ Once again, American Horror Story is a wholly unique and original take on its genre with richly drawn characters. The ability to put together a cast of stars such as Dylan McDermott, Connie Britton, Denis O’Hare, Frances Conroy and Oscar-winner Jessica Lange speaks to the quality of the writing and storytelling. This series is going to blow audiences back in their seats, and we can’t wait to have it on our air.”

Others who have seen the pilot say that it’s filled to the brim with character and plot development. One critic says, “The first episode has more stuff crammed into it than some shows have in their first season.” This may not be such a great thing because viewers typically don’t like to get suffocated by too much in the very beginning. At the TCAs, Murphy admitted that pilot “has like eight cliffhangers” but he went on to reassure potential viewers that he has “an obligation to the audience in the next two [episodes] to explain a lot of those things that are set up.”

Over the summer FX has been running a super creepy yet intriguing marketing campaign to amp anticipation for the series. Short commercials featuring AHS “clues” can be screened at this YouTube channel. This week the cable network finally released a standard teaser clip featuring the main cast in the haunted (?) mansion. What’s up with Denis O’Hare vanishing up in flames and who’s that stalker-ish man (?) in the black latex suit grabbing at Connie Britton? This same question can be asked about the bizarre poster pasted above. The teaser video is after the break.

I will certainly give this show a try, and I think you should too. I trust Murphy and Falchuk’s creative vision and so I expect AHS will find its groove at some point during its first season run. The cast is stacked and the intrigue is there. Tune in to see what American Horror Story is all about when it premieres October 5 at 10PM on FX.

[Via FX; Deadline 1, 2] Continue reading FX ready to tell ‘American Horror Story’ (poster & teaser inside) →

Symbolyc One talks about his “Excellence” behind ‘Watch The Throne’ beat

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Kanye West called upon producer Symbolyc One (aka S1) to produce the beat behind the second half of Watch The Throne track “Murder To Excellence.” (‘Murder’ was produced by Swizz Beatz.) S1 had previously worked with ‘Ye on the masterful single “Power” off My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and most recently he co-produced Beyonce’s hit “Best Thing I Never Had.” S1 traveled to London and Australia with Kanye and Throne collaborator Jay-Z, and it was Done Under where the “dirty” beat for “Excellence” was conceived. He picked the Indiggo sample because he liked the “African, tribal feel to it.” Watch the video to see S1 in the studio and learn more about the inspiration behind the track.

[Via RapUp; MrBusby]

HP discontinues webOS devices

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In April 2010 HP acquired Palm for $2.1 billion. Since then HP announced three products powered by Palm’s secret sauce known as webOS: the next-gen Pre3, the tiny Veer, and the TouchPad tablet. Due to a number of factors (including but not limited to manufacturing delays, almost no buzz, and as a result of that poor sales figures), HP has decided to discontinue all webOS devices. A press release outed Thursday states:

HP reported that it plans to announce that it will discontinue operations for webOS devices, specifically the TouchPad and webOS phones. HP will continue to explore options to optimize the value of webOS software going forward.

So what does this mean for ex-WebOS engineer Job Rubinstein’s creation? Well, HP refuses to say that the innovative OS is dead. The majority of industry insiders believe that HP might go on to license the OS to other hardware manufacturers. So in a nutshell, HP will continue shaping the OS for the future but the devices it will run on will be made by other manufacturers. (It’s like what Google and Microsoft do with their cell phone businesses; Android and Windows Phone 7 are developed internally and they are pushed out to consumers on devices made by other manufactures like HTC and Samsung.) For now, however, the manufacture of the Pre line, the Veer, and the TouchPad will be ceased and when the current supply of inventory is gone, that’s the end of it. If you’re in the market for a decent tablet, though, now’s the time to splurge: HP is having a major TouchPad fire sale to get rid of all the remaining inventory. The 16GB ($399) and 32GB ($499) models are seeing a significant price drop today; they are now going for $99 and $149 respectively. Check out Slick Deals to see the retail outlets that have the price reduction in effect.

In the same press release HP also announced that “its board of directors has authorized the exploration of strategic alternatives for its Personal Systems Group (PSG).” In other words, the company is pondering a way to spinoff their consumer-oriented hardware wing so that they can focus all their attention on building software. You see, the company’s PSG includes HP desktops, laptops, printers, webOS devices, etc. HP is in talks with Autonomy Corporation plc about handing over their hardware unit, but according to HP CEO Leo Apotheker it’ll be another 12 to 18 months before any major decisions are made regarding the new focus for the company.

It’s clear that this is a time of transition for HP. They spent billions on a fading hardware company and that went bust. Now they are taking a step back from the consumer industry and considering a big move towards software and services. When all the dust settles, though, there’s one thing that remains to be said and makes a lump form in my throat: with Rubinstein working on other projects and webOS on death row, this time Palm really is dead.

[Via Engadget] Continue reading HP discontinues webOS devices →

Tour Iceland in this breathtaking Bon Iver music video

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Indie rock group Bon Iver teamed with famed director Nabil Elderkin to shoot this gorgeous music video for “Holocene,” a cut off the band’s latest album Bon Iver, Bon Iver. The clip follows a youthful Icelandic boy waking up in the morning and exploring everything that the icy island has to offer. Bon Iver frontman Justin Vernon allowed Nabil to run free with it. “[Iceland] is the most magical place in the world,” says Nabil. “It looked like Mars to me, so I always wanted to shoot there. When Bon Iver gave me the reigns on this video, I knew it had to be filmed there.” The final product truly is breathtaking; you get lost in scenic cinematography and the soothing sounds of “Holocene.” See for yourself in the video above.

[Via NatGeo]

Google Music Beta offers up free songs through Magnifier

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This week Google launched a new music discovery site called Magnifier for Music Beta users. If you managed to score an invite to Google’s (currently) free music locker in the cloud, you probably noticed the Auto Playlist named Free songs idly sitting there. Well, now we know its intention. Magnifier offers free tracks for people looking to discover new music and expand their library. The portal is split up into three sections. The home page puts front and center a featured artist. This week it’s indie rock band My Morning Jacket. The post includes a write-up about the band, a video interview, and two free tracks (one of which is an exclusive to Magnifier). Click the “Add free music” button and both tracks will instantly fly into your Free songs playlist, ready for you to play. Inside the Song of the Day tab you’ll find “key tracks from the most innovative and exciting artists” handpicked by Googlers. The Antenna tab is home to Google’s Artist of the Week; this week Shabazz Palaces is featured and you can preview their “ghetto sound sprawl” vibe by downloading three free tracks. In addition to these featured artist sections Google also offers Free Song Archives; hundreds of songs are available to download for free and they’re grouped by genre.

So if you’ve found a way into the Music Beta, head on over to Magnifier to get your music discovery on.

[Via GoogleBlog]