Blog Stage - Acting in Film, TV, Theatre - Backstage

'Fear Factor' Returning to NBC This Week

For those who missed the grossest of the grossest reality shows, fear not. For “Fear Factor” is back and more disgusting than ever! The program will begin its second life on NBC tonight.

Chiller, a small cable channel owned by NBC’s parent company, Comcast, has been running repeats of the show, and by Chiller standards, the ratings are strong. Based on that, NBC decided to give the show another chance, but because desensitization has done wonders, the show has to be “bigger, badder, and grosser” than ever before.

Critics' Name Best Movies; More 'Who'?

• Critics associations around the country are naming their best movies of 2011. The consensus is... well, results tend to vary. The same names, like "The Artist" and "The Descendants," you've heard over and over this year are still receiving attention. Click over to Deadline's postings showing the votes from New York Film Critics Online and Los Angeles Film Critics Association.

• These next two bullets are for the geeks out there (I'm one of you). Two lost "Doctor Who" episodes have been recovered and will be shown sometime in the future. How were they lost initially? It was common for shows in the early days of television to tape over old episodes once their repeats rights had expired or to save storage space. No one thought people would buy whole seasons of TV series, which has become common practice in this day and age, especially at Christmas when you have no idea what to get someone.  Read the story at The Guardian.

• According to The New York Times, Hollywood is pushing for the creation of new languages -including grammatical rules, an alphabet, and basic vocabulary- to be used in their fantasy and sci-fi movies ("Avatar"), TV shows ("Game of Thrones"), and video games. This move is supposed to add believability to a project. Requiring viewers to learn a new language to understand plot certainly won't alienate them. For me, if a movie's characters don't speak any language, I won't invest them. That's why I don't care for silent films.

• There's doubt over whether Marilyn Monroe's alleged affair with Colin Clark took place. The tryst is the basis of the movie "My Week with Marilyn." Why does this matter? Did people think they were seeing a documentary? Read the story at Los Angeles Times.

Digital Projectors to Dominate Theaters By 2015

Digital projectors are predicted to completely take over the global theater industry by late 2015, reported the Los Angeles Times. According to Texas Instruments Inc., which produces the computer chips used in digital projectors,  the number of DLP digital projectors set up around the world has increased 84 percent over the last year. Today, 62 percent of American movie screens have been converted digitally while film studios continue to decease the use of expensive film prints.

Around the world, much of the growth of digital usage has been in Europe and China. 3-D moneymakers, like "Avatar," also fuel the fire since they need digital projectors to be seen in movie theaters. It seems that learning any aspect of digital filmmaking is a good investment for the future. But who knows? Vinyl records are making a comeback of sorts, so maybe you don't want throw out those old-fashioned film projectors just yet.

Theaters Improve Actor Housing; Fire at Universal

• Recently, two regional theaters improved their housing for visiting artists. In 2010, Salt Lake City's Pioneer Theatre Company spent $2.6 million renovating a historic building into actor residences. Also, this year, Connecticut's Godspeed Musicals used $5.5 million to create a sort of village of artist houses. Check it out at Playbill.

• Kiosk rental service Redbox is planning to partner with Verizon on a streaming service. According to TechCrunch, the endeavor is reportedly directed toward digital platforms, but not cable.

• A fire erupted in a construction zone at Universal Studios on Thursday afternoon, reported Deadline. It was extinguished quickly and damage was limited. 

• 6'5" actor Tug Coker has been cast to play Larry Bird in the biographical play "Magic/Bird." Read the story at The New York Times.

Maher Joins Yahoo! Comedy; Schwartz Honored

• Comedian Bill Maher will perform a show at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts that will be streamed online for free on Feb. 23. The stand-up special will be used to introduce a new Yahoo! comedy channel that will contain other original and licensed content. Read the story at The New York Times.

• Stephen Schwartz, Oscar-winning "Wicked" and "Pippin" composer and lyricist, was honored by the ASCAP foundation for his contributions to musical theater. On Wednesday, Tony-winner Adam Guettel presented Schwartz with the ASCAP Foundation Richard Rodgers Award. Click over to Playbill for more.

• Stephen Colbert interviewed David Hallberg, the first American dancer to join the Bolshoi Ballet, on Wednesday. Hallberg and American Ballet Theatre soloist Hee Seo later performed a pas de deux from "The Nutcracker." Colbert even showed off some of his dance moves and... legs. Check it out at The New York Times.

Pictured: Bill Maher (Photo: Getty Images)

Jackman Raises Almost $1 Million for Charity

"Hugh Jackman, Back on Broadway," with its Australian star, topped the list of fundraisers in the annual “Gypsy of the Year” event, which benefits Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Despite only being on the Great White Way for three weeks, Jackman's one-man show raised $857,740. Portions of that total came from the auctioning of Jackman's undershirts that he wore during the production. According to The Hollywood Reporter, they sold for about $10,000 each.

Verizon vs. Netflix?; Harry Morgan of 'M*A*S*H' Dies

• According to Reuters, Verizon plans to start a standalone service in 2012 that will let customers stream film and TV shows over the Internet. Such an endeavor would put the company in competition with Netflix and cable providers. If Verizon increases its number of subscribers, then it may be able to lower its fees.

• The lawsuit of a former Universal TV employee claims that behind the scenes of Fox's "House" there are sexual antics galore. The Hollywood Reporter said these allegations may soon be presented to a jury.

• Harry Morgan, prolific character actor best known for playing Colonel Potter in the television series “M*A*S*H,” died Wednesday at the age of 96. Read his obituary at The New York Times. Also, Leo Friedman, renowned stage photographer who captured the likes of Elizabeth Taylor and Katharine Hepurn, passed away. He was 92. Check out his Times obituary and a slideshow of his photographs.

Cable/Home Security Company?; Influential CD Dies

• Cable companies, such as Time Warner Cable and Comcast, are moving into home security... seriously. According to Los Angeles Times, in the midst of losing video subscribers due to other competitors, like Netflix, and the struggling economy, cable operators believe this will be a good additional, and logical, source of revenue. The only way a burglar is going to be scared of your cable guy is if he's this guy.

• New York City Opera is seeking the aid of a federal mediator to break its current impasse with the unions representing its chorus and orchestra, reported The New York Times. Also, City Opera, said on Tuesday that it will take up office space in Lower Manhattan. 

• The upcoming sci-fi drama "Cloud Atlas" may provide a model of how films will be financed in the near future. The movie is relying heavily on international investors, namely in Asia, as well as on German subsidies. Check it out at The New York Times.

• Marion Dougherty, one of Hollywood’s most influential casting directors, died at the age of 88. Dougherty helped launched the careers of stars such as Anne Bancroft, Warren Beatty, Gene Hackman, Dustin Hoffman, Bette Midler, Al Pacino, and Robert Redford. Read her obituary at Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter. 

Tweet Seats Are The Latest Trend for the Arts Beat

Just when you thought this generation wasn’t brainwashed by technology enough, wait until you hear about the latest trend for theaters – "tweet seats." Inspired by the popularity of the social network, Twitter, "tweet seats" are in-house seats set aside for people who agree to live "tweet" about what is happening during a performance.

Police Overpower Actor Faking a Robbery

A recent 911 call about an armed robbery in San Francisco had police officers rushing to the scene of… a TV show?

Bingo.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported that while a crew for the Japanese television show "World's Most Interesting Footage" filmed a simulated robbery, an unknown bystander misunderstood the scenario and called 911.