Neil Patrick Harris has a TV-heavy resume. Now he’s just landed the lead in Smurfs: The Movie for Sony. Harris won’t have to walk around as a blue-tinted Avatar, either. The Raja Gosnell-directed film is a mix of live action and animation, and Harris is the lead live action character. Filming begins in April, when he’ll be on hiatus from CBS’ How I Met Your Mother.

That article’s headline claims he’ll play the “lead Smurf”, but the text you just read says he’ll be the lead “live action character”, meaning he’ll be either Gargamel or Papa Smurf, depending on how you’re reading it.

[via Deadline, which I just realized is Nikki Finke's new-ish outfit]

A Day In The Life from Harry Nesbitt on Vimeo.

Taken as a whole, I think Mediaite’s five questions for Micki Maynard –whose new book looks pretty good — is more or less on the level, save one thing:

Car Chase: Bullitt or French Connection?
Bullitt. Have to pick Steve over Gene in this case (but loved Hoosiers).

No fucking way.

Full disclosure: I’m personally lukewarm on Steve McQueen, but I think we can objectively conclude that Bullitt’s straight-laced-by-comparison demeanor has nothing on Gene Hackman’s hard-drinking, rough-talking, dirty-coppin’, pickin-your-feet-in-Poughkeepsie Jimmy Doyle. San Fran is a fine place to set a film — no coastal bias here. Its probably a really nice place for a joyride. But when it comes to the breakneck, the wide boulevards and highways of the west haven’t got a thing on straight up New Yorkin’:

It starts with Doyle requisitioning a vehicle, which is unassailably badass, and speaks to his bubble-gum-and-bailing-wire style (meanwhile, McQueen — man of pomp and circumstance — is spinning the tires of his ‘68 Mustang 390 CID. On a side note, McQueen’s perp is also driving a ‘68 Mustang. What are the odds?)

We follow Doyle from Bay St. and Stillwell Ave. in Brooklyn, the terminus of the West End Line (on the D train), up Stillwell, onto 86th Street and finally right into New Utrecht Avenue, ending at 62nd Street Station, where gun play ensues.

But check this out:

The chase was filmed, unusually and not entirely legally, at full speed, with real pedestrians and traffic, though there are five staged stunts too.

Admittedly, one of things well known about McQueens Bullitt is that he did a bunch of his own stunts (there’s even a cut, which I can’t seem to identify, in which McQueen is apparently deliberately leaning out the window of the ’stang so everyone knows its actually him. Props to that, but I’d like to see him try it doing 70 on Stillwell.)

My major problem with the Bullitt chase is that it lacks the precision required to careen in traffic under the elevated rail. Present-day Brooklynites might be familiar with the intersection of Broadway and Myrtle Ave. A McQueen attempt through there would probably end up looking a lot more like a game of Burnout than anyone desires. See for yourself:

You might also be interested in Freewilliamsburg’s interview with Buim, which is mad enlightening:

And finally, if you were a sandwich, what kind would you be?

Whitefish, sable, capers, onions and cream cheese.

Far out.

• Huckleberry Bar
• Group bisexuality, inevitably leading to an
• Unmitigated fuckfest.

We walked right by the pilot screening last night, unknowingly, but by the looks of the trailer, well, three rights sometimes make a wrong. One NY Mag commenter pretty much nails it: “why does this look like a homemade gay coming of age movie from the early nineties?”

That’s a good question, because most of those movies sucked.

Although while I’m here, I’d like to take this opportunity to pitch MY new pilot, a dramedy about a group of overambitious, bisexual line chefs. It’s called Chopped & Screwed. Bidding starts now.

Details: Thursday 8/27, 8pm, Reverend Billy campaign HQ, 250 Lafayette St. btw Spring/Prince, SoHo.

[via Kings County Cinema Society]