Celebrities Support Online Auction for Los Angeles Pet Rescue Organization
Annual online event for Precious Paws to feature lunches with actors, entertainment memorabilia

LOS ANGELES, CA (October 27, 2010) – Stargazers rejoice: the Celebrity Experience and Entertainment Memorabilia Auction will be held from October 28th – November 7th. The online auction supports Precious Paws, a non-profit animal rescue organization based in Encino, Calif. The auction, held exclusively on the Precious Paws eBay store, will include star-powered items for fans and Hollywood followers of all ages.

Among featured auction items are VIP tickets to a Bon Jovi concert in New York City with a backstage meet and greet with Richie Sambora. Another show-stopping item comes from Adrianne Curry, who has donated a custom designed midi chopper airbrushed with her first Playboy pictorial.

“I know the effort and heart that was poured into this bike, and if it can bring someone half the happiness it brought me in the name of charity, I’ll be a very happy woman,” said Curry. “I got both of my babies (Sgt. Pepper and Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds) from Precious Paws, and can think of no one else I would have given my bike to.”

The auction also features opportunities to have lunch with notable celebrities, including: Eric Roberts, an Academy Award nominee for his role in “Runaway Train”; Cherie Currie of the Runaways; Susan Olsen, known for her role as Cindy on “The Brady Bunch”; Erin Murphy, known for her role as Tabitha Stevens on “Bewitched”; Emmy Award winning soap star Drew Tyler Bell; and Rod Rodenberry.

“I have known Georgyne La Lone and Penny Juday for years and I know how dedicated they are to their cause. I am happy to help by offering a lunch with myself to support their organization, Precious Paws,” said Rod Rodenberry, the son of legendary “Star Trek” creator Gene Rodenberry.

For additional information about the Celebrity Experience and Entertainment Memorabilia Auction, please go to their official auction website or contact Georgyne LaLone, president and founder of Precious Paws, at GeorgyneLaLone@PreciousPaws.org.

About Precious Paws

Since 2003, Precious Paws has been rescuing unwanted companion cats and dogs in Southern California from both the streets and local shelters. A 501(c)3 registered non-profit organization, Precious Paws is dedicated to spaying or neutering, vaccinating, and testing each animal rescued before they are placed for adoption into permanent homes. For more information, please visit www.preciouspaws.org.

Auction Catalog

Two VIP tickets to a Bon Jovi concert in New York City in the spring of 2011, including a backstage meet and greet with Richie Sambora

Two VIP tickets to a Bon Jovi concert in Las Vegas in the spring of 2011, including a swag bag

Lunch with Susan Olsen and Erin Murphy

Lunch with Eric Roberts

Lunch with Rod Rodenberry

Lunch with Drew Tyler Bell

Two tickets to a Cherie Currie concert and a backstage meet and greet in 2010/2011

Adrianne Curry’s midi chopper

A phone call from Bobby Sherman

Entertainment memorabilia galore

Download Press Release Here

Also Krofft/Brady related, up for bid is Adrianne Curry’s (wife of Chris Knight/Peter Brady) midi chopper from <a href=http://www.beverlyhillschoppers.com/" Beverly Hills Choppers.

It seemed like a sure thing…Will Ferrell and dinosaurs, what better way could you bring Krofft productions to the 21st century? Whatever happend, it didn’t work and some momentum was lost. That leaves the question of how to get the next Krofft movie on the big screen. H.R. Pufnstuf and Sigmund the Sea Monster were already in the pipe prior to Land of the Lost, so let’s explore them.

With the recent release of “Where the Wild Things Are”, Spike Jonze illustrated both what to do, and what not to do when mixing low-tech costumes and high-tech effect. The character of H.R. Pufnstuf can learn a lot from Wild Things. Sid and Marty are still costume masters, so expect them to up the anti. They can also learn from the story, as Marty said “Don’t mess with what worked“. Removing the 70s camp, and inserting some 21st century realism without loosing the childhood innocense will make Pufnstuf a wonderful film. A cameo from Billie Hayes is also a must.

Sigmund on the other hand could be tricky. Where Pufnstuf takes place in the magical “Living Island”, the Sigmund story takes place in the ‘real world’. The entire premise is camp. The story and costumes would require an update. Does Sigmund still talk? Does the story take on a Waterhorse style? It would be amazing to see the story of Johnny and his pal Sigmund come to the big screen (music and all), but I just can’t imagine how it would work. Maybe Pufnstuf would pave the way.

One of the problems I see is that Sid and Marty aren’t doing enough self promotion. They are not following the advice of Walt Disney that Sid quotes often, “keep your name above the title”. It wasn’t “Sid & Marty Krofft’s Land of the Lost”, it was “Will Ferrell in Land of the Lost”. Yes, they are releasing more and more of their shows online (Hulu, iTunes, etc), but not promoting it well. They partnered with the already dieing MySpace, which has done nothing for their online presence except associate them with trashy chicks and dudes hoping to hook up (I’m not saying everyone on MySpace is that way, but it is the overwhelming majority).

Sid and Marty, get your name back “above the title”.

” ‘Wild Things’ is very, very good for us,” says Marty Krofft. “We always wanted to do low-tech costumes and high-tech heads. But it’ll be a big difference in tone, of course — we’ll be bright, not dark.”

Also, this marks the first time (that I’m aware of) that Marty admits they went to far with Land of the Lost. That they strayed to far from the original.

“We went with comedy, which got it green-lit. But we didn’t know it was going to go so far in the PG-13 direction and so close to an R rating,” he says of the unfortunate flop. “Our characters are all likable, and we have so much goodwill from our fans. So, now we know: Don’t mess with what’s worked.”

I’m glad to see that he’s had this realization. When I met Marty Krofft this past summer, I really wanted to discuss this exact issue with him, but wasn’t sure he would have been receptive. You can’t turn a family-friendly story of a popular children’s show into a raunchy comedy and expect success. It’s like drinking a beer when you were expecting milk. Doesn’t matter how good the beer is, it’ll taste like crap. (even though in this case it was crap)

Also in the article, Marty discusses plans for Electra Woman and Doctor Shrinker. Both stories would have great appeal if handled properly. Especially EW with the rash of super hero movies at the box office.

Thanks to Shemp DeYoung for pointing me to the article. Please leave your comments below.

Sid and Marty Krofft are more known for their puppet creations than their variety shows, but they had many. From Pink Lady and Jeff to Donny and Marie and of course The Brady Bunch Hour

Variety shows were a staple of television since its inception but fizzled out in the early 80s. The Brady Hour was an example of that fizzle. Why would someone want to remind us of a show that even those who were involved like to pretend it didn’t exists? KROFFT.NET asked author Ted Nichelson about what brought him to write Love to Love You Bradys: The Bizarre Story of The Brady Bunch Variety Hour

KROFFT.NET: What originally drew you to the BBVH.

TED NICHELSON: My involvement began innocently enough one evening in Ann Arbor, Michigan while reading through some news group postings on the internet. I was a student at the University of Michigan and probably had more important things to do. But I was curious about this “Brady Variety Hour” that was being rerun on an obscure cable network in Australia. People down under were having the most entertaining discussions about this supposedly terrible show. I became email friends with a few people lucky enough to see the Variety Hour and convinced one of them to record some episodes and send them to me on the other side of the globe. As a childhood fan of The Brady Bunch it was a thrill to see this cast of characters in a “new” series, much of which to this day has still not been broadcast to American audiences since its single and only broadcast in 1976-77.

KN: How did Susan and Lisa become involved in your project? Did you start it together?

TN: I began by starting a website devoted to The Brady Bunch Variety Hour which soon raised some eyebrows. Almost immediately I received an email from Maureen McCormick’s mother Irene who was so very entertained by what I had put together. In the next year this was followed by interviews with cast members such as Geri Reischl, whom I spent six month trying to locate, Chris Knight, and finally Susan Olsen. Susan was particularly awestruck by my website because she had suppressed her memories of the Variety Hour and was shocked to have them coming to the surface once again. Over several years of becoming friends and relocating to Los Angeles after graduation, I asked her if she would like to collaborate on a book about the series. Fans had been encouraging me to move forward on such a project for a long time and I knew that Susan would be the perfect compliment to such a publication.

Lisa joined the project in 2004 when we decided the format would be a coffee table book. Not only is Lisa Sutton the official ‘Bradyologist’ but she is a talented graphic designer which a lot of experience in that realm. She designed ‘Growing Up Brady‘ so she was the obvious choice for ‘Love to Love You Bradys.’

KN: There is so much information in the book, was it challenging locating the lesser known cast and crew?

TN: It was really quite difficult tracking down everyone, and was nothing less than being a private investigator. I had to call around and talk to people who knew the person I was looking for, and get enough information (such as the name of a spouse, child, or other relative) so that I could l search public records. The most difficult people to locate were Geri Reischl, Charkie Phillips, Madeline Graneto, and Robyn Blythe. I began looking for Geri about 10 years ago and at the time nobody had heard anything about her since about 1980. Now we all know her, but at the time she was completely anonymous and living a normal life.

Finding photographs of some of the deceased individuals was also extremely difficult and often took many months of hunting.

KN: What was the most difficult part of writing the book?

TN: The most challenging part of writing the book was taking all the disparate elements and great stories, then weaving them together so they began to tell a story and paint a picture of what the mid 70s was like in television. Susan and I wanted the book to have a distinct academic tone, which was part of the parody – that we took something seemingly unnewsworthy and made it interesting to read about. I think we succeeded in that goal and it turned out that the material was fun, entertaining, and historically significant. A lot of people are surprised by how interesting ‘Love to Love You Bradys’ really is.

KN: Any plans for a follow up?

TN: I think we’ve pretty much exhausted the topic of ‘The Brady Bunch Variety Hour,’ but perhaps we’ll collaborate again on something related. My next book is an autobiography with actress and comedian Geri Jewell, which should be out in 2011.

KN: Were the Krofft Brothers open to you doing the book?

TN: Sid and Marty have distinct personalities, so their individual approach in participating in the book was different. Sid likes to chat on the phone and remembers a lot of things. He invited me to come meet him a few times to discuss things further and was just the sweetest person. Marty, on the other hand, was much more business-like but also very warm and helpful. He invited Susan and I to his office where we discussed the book and then went to lunch. They were just the nicest people and I am grateful to them.

KN: Do you know if Sid and Marty have seen the book? Did they have any comment?

TN: None of us have heard from Sid and Marty so I do not know if they saw the book. If they called me I would be sure they were sent a book, so the offer is open. I think they are both so busy that they may not even be aware it is out yet.

KN: Are you a fan of any of the other Krofft works? If so, which ones?

TN: I am not very informed about their shows, but I can name them all and have watched clips on YouTube to get an idea for their creative style and to understand how it colored their involvement with ‘The Brady Bunch Variety Hour.’ I became good friends with Van Snowden, who played HR Pufnstuf, and I learned a lot of about the Kroffts and their shows by listening to him tell many great stories.

KN: After being immersed in the Krofft/Brady world for so long, how would you sum up the experience?

TN: The first thing that comes to mind is that ALL of these people on both sides are the NICEST individuals you could ever hope to meet in Hollywood. A lot of producers, directors, and actors are so very rude, egocentric, unapproachable and distracted. The Kroffts and Bradys couldn’t be farther from this stereotype. It was a true honor, privilege, and joy to meet all of them and to preserve some of their memories for the ages.

KROFFT.NET would like to thank Ted Nichelson for the interview, and urge you to get your copy of Love to Love You Bradys today.

The Life of Reilly was first shown in 2006 and is an adaptation Charles Nelson Reilly’s one-man play “Save It For the Stage: The Life of Reilly”. It is an edited version of Reilly’s longer stage show, filmed live before audiences at the El Portal Theater in North Hollywood, California in October of 2004. I recently purchased the DVD from the website of the late Charles Nelson Reilly.

Charles Nelson Reilly is the reason I remained a Krofft fan for my entire life. His portrayal of Hoo Doo in Lidsville made an impression on me at the young age of only 3. His signature laugh was the only thing I remembered for years, and spent years trying to remember those early childhood dreams.

My next exposure to Charles was The Match Game. My grandmother was a huge game show fan, so I had early exposure to The Match Game, The Price is Right and many others. The familiarity with Reilly drew me to him instantly. I’ve been a huge fan since. He is an entertainer for all ages, and deserves a larger place in entertainment history.

The movie Life of Reilly is a perfect film. It starts off asking “Do you remember who Charles Nelson Reilly is?” Tragically, not enough people do. Interspersed with clips that illustrate his story, Life of Reilly shows us CNR‘s life from his own point of view…tragic, exciting and funny. The film’s impact is amplified by the passing of Reily. It is wonderful that he was able to document this prior to his death.

Sadly, the film is still not widely available on DVD. But, the good news is that you can still get it. I received an email from the directors recently:

The DVD was slated to be released early this year by the legendary New Yorker Films. Unfortunately, as you may have heard or read, New Yorker Films recently filed for bankruptcy.
…
In the mean time, for a limited time only you can get a FREE DVD Screener of the film on our website when you buy a T-Shirt for as little as $14.95.

Of course, I now have mine. I would love to see all the raw footage of Reilly’s performance, but for now I’ll be content with this extraordinary DVD.

What are you waiting for? Go get yours!

Several of the Krofft family was there, including Marty Krofft himself. For coverage of the Krofft portion of the show, go to KROFFT.NET.

The main attraction was the Happy Days cast. Everyone of the core cast was there except Ron Howard. Throughout the day there was a huge lineup to see get autographs and pictures with the cast. I spoke with Henry Winkler and Marion Ross. They were both amazing to talk to, and Marion hasn’t aged a day. The whole cast seemed to be enjoying there time at the show, especially Erin Moran. She was just as excited to see some of her celebrity friends as the fans were to see her.

As a big fan of The View Askewniverse, it was exciting to meet Jason Mewes (not to mention my wife’s infatuation with him. He was very genuine, and was the only celebrity to spend the entire day in front of his table. As I expected, he was very humble, and put on the “Jay” attitude for pictures. It was great (now if I had only remembered my Clerks DVD for him to sign. It already has Kevin Smith’s autograph). My wife took a picture with him and got a great autograph.

Along with The Brady Kids, Christopher Knight’s wife, and the first America’s Next Top Model, Adrianne Curry was there supporting Precious Paws. As I’ve mentioned before, I didn’t watch Top Model but first discovered Adrianne on The Surreal Life where she met her husband Chris. It was a joy meeting Adrianne in person. We arrived as they were setting up (the show was so unorganized) and had a chance to meet Adrianne and Chris before the crowds came. She was very down to earth (as was the whole Brady group) and very good to her fans. I only wish I had more time to talk with her as I do love to read her blog and would have enjoyed discussing some of her life philosophy in person.

From what I’ve heard, Lou Ferrigno is a sweetheart, but he is very intimidating to meet in person. The man is huge and solid. I had him autograph two pictures for my sons. I felt like a little kid when I shook his hand.

There were many other celebrities there, but the show itself was run horribly. The celebrities were told it opened at 10am, but they let us in at 9am (and 80% of them weren’t there, and the ones that were there were setting up). They had Marty Krofft in a corner next to Playboy Models no where near the other Krofft actors. They had Rosanna Arquette stuffed in the corner behind the Happy Days line where she couldn’t be seen. They had Jason Mewes next to the Munchkins from the Wizard of Oz. Not to mention Phil LaMarr and Billy West (Futurama) buried in the corner of the lobby next to a Psychic. But, would I got again…Yes.

Please leave you questions or your own experiences below in the comments.

The opening act, Alexi Murdoch was outstanding, as well as extremely humble. When he walked on stage, I thought he was a sound-guy, or a roadie. He proceeded to setup his equipment, plug in, and begin his melodies. He thanked the crowd over and over again for ‘listening’. “Usually there is allot of chatter”. He was very good, and fit well with Alanis, along with providing some contrast.

We really enjoyed Alanis’ performance, although it seemed very rushed. She banged through each song without hesitation. She didn’t stop, other than to take a drink of water (and the obligitory pre-encore breaks). This gave us more music, but hurts some of the intimacy. Also, she was visible tired, you could see it on her face. She was exhausted, and it affected her performance. One look at her tour schedule tells the story. A new show nearly every night, in a new city. When there is a gap between shows, it appears that it’s only because the bus can’t go fast enough.

The concert was amazing. I’d do it again if I could. She put on a great show performance as always, even in her sleep. This is how she should always perform; in small intimate theaters where her true fans can enjoy it. The only damper on the night happened afterwards.

My wife and I waited by the backstage door (first time we’ve ever done that) for her to exit. When we got there, about 10 other people were also waiting. We waited for over hour with the other fans, obeying the strict orders of the security guards to stay behind a certain point. Then, a group of teenagers and their mother walked up and stood in front of our group. The security guard attempted to move them back, but they complained, and the guard drew a “new” line. They were in front of us now. Many complained, but the maturity level of the “mom” in question was dwarfed by the surrounding young people. About 10 minutes later, Alanis came out and none of us who were waiting the hour got to see her.

That brings me to another question. How do you get to go backstage? Just before Alanis came on stage, about 12 people came out of the door, sat down (not all near the front). They were backstage. How do you get to go backstage? I know how it works at rock concerts, and it usually involves having your wife dress un-motherly, but what about at an Alanis concert? Curious.

If you’re like me, you’ve already made your own version of this via AudioHiJack Pro or similar application. These songs are so incredibly catchy and entertaining that my 7 year old daughter walks around singing them (and she’s only seen the show twice). If anyone every thought that “Once More, With Feeling” was a lucky shot for Joss, Dr. Horrible should put those nay-sayers in their place.

The track listing is:

• 01. Horrible Theme
• 02. My Freeze Ray
• 03. Bad Horse Chorus
• 04. Caring Hands
• 05. A Man’s Gotta Do
• 06. My Eyes
• 07. Bad Horse Chorus (reprise)
• 08. Penny’s Song
• 09. Brand New Day
• 10. So They Say
• 11. Everyone’s A Hero
• 12. Slipping
• 13. Everything You Ever
• 14. Horrible Credits

Also, Joss has posted liner notes and lyrics over at the Dr. Horrible site. Now you can “sing-along”.

I already have “Bad Horse” as my ringtone.

I’m not talking about the super-cellphone that can read any electronic device, even a highly secure memory card that would NEVER have a radio signal to detect (the radiation it would have given off to activate the card at that range would be deadly). Come to think of it, why couldn’t the device access the alarm system? No, I’m talking about the fact that a two-time prison escapee would NEVER be let out on bail, much less without an arraignment. The TV watching public is all too familiar with how the courts work to fall for this. Then, there is the fact that they were out on bail, never saw a judge, yet were transferred to a federal prison? None of this makes sense, and completely took me out of the show in the first hour.

I understand why they felt this needed to happen. They needed a dramatic reveal for the return of Sarah (even though we knew she was coming back), and an attempt on her/their life to force Michael and Lincoln to take the assignment/deal. They rushed this first hour to get us to the setup (I like to call SD-6) with all the ex-cons working together in the warehouse. We as loyal “Prison Break” viewers deserved to see this play out properly, as well as see the Sona fire and escape. The entire first 2 hour episode should have ended with the Lincoln and Micheal agreeing to the deal. I can’t imagine how new viewers will perceive this show if this is their first exposure. We deserved more.

There was good in this premier. T-Bag’s desert Mexican-meal was a perfect way to remind the audience what kind of person he really is. T-Bag has become a beloved character, and many tend to forget this man is evil and ruthless. I’m glad they started off on the right foot with him.

Then there is the brutal murder of Mahone’s family. Although this was kind of glossed over, it is the single most powerful moment in the 2-hours. His motivation has been to return to a normal family life. Just when it appeared he might, his entire reason for living is taken from him. His emotions should have been explored deeper (instead of the mushy reunion between Sara and Michael). The slaughter also gave us a gruesome introduction to Wyatt, the new bad-guy.

Cress Williams (Wyatt) was an amazing choice. He has such a kind and calm personality that you would never expect him to be so evil. As he talked to the two roommates, sitting calmly at the dining room table, it was peaceful and frightening at the same time. I’m glad he has replaced Gretchen as the “bad-guy”, as everytime she was on the screen last season, I cringed at the terrible acting. Hopefully she spends most of this season bound and gagged.

In all, I was disappointed with the premier. I know that the writers strike was most likely the cause of this rushed opener. I’m sure that much of what we missed (and much of what was in the first hour) was supposed to be the tail end of last season. I can support the SD-6 style missions that it appears the new group will be going on. Again, “Prison Break” has changed formulas; let’s hope it’s a good one.

After unlocking the mystery of the Stargate’s ninth chevron, a team of explorers travels to an unmanned starship called the Destiny, launched by The Ancients at the height of their civilization as a grand experiment set in motion, but never completed.

What starts as a simple reconnaissance turns into a never ending mission, as the Stargate Universe crew discovers the ship is unable to return to Earth, and they must now fend for themselves aboard the Destiny.

The crew will travel to the far reaches of the universe, connecting with each of the previously launched Stargates, thus fulfilling the Destiny’s original mission. Challenges will arise though as the ship comes into range of Stargates placed centuries ahead of the Destiny and the crew is unable to control the ship’s navigational schedule. If someone is left behind, there is no way to go back for them, adding to the drama of encountering new races, enemies and adventures.

Yes, it sounds a little like “Star Trek: Voyager”, but I think the Stargate-twist will make it much better, and different. I love the richness of the “Stargate” universe so this is great news for me. Also, having a premise that prevents them from interacting with Earth will keep the DVD movies from interfering with the TV show.

I still think they should have let Atlantis run another season while this new show got off the ground. What do you think?