Tuesday, January 30, 2018

The O.C. Basement: The O.C. Drinking Game!


In the O.C.'s heyday people were coming up with all sorts of new and exciting ways to enjoy The O.C.. One prevalent thing that multiple O.C. communities came up with was O.C. drinking games.  So without further-a-do we present to you below an O.C. drinking game from a now defunct O.C. website! It's pretty hilarious and if you decide to do a re-watch while following the rules below - you will sure be in for some fun!  Be responsible and enjoy.

Get your drinks ready, and follow this handy guide--trust us, you'll be sporting a good buzz before the first note to "California" even plays. 

Alright, so you've tuned into FOX, it's 9pm (8pm central time), and "The OC" is about to start. We know what you're thinking--how could you make this show any better? Two words--DRINKING GAME.

So get your drinks ready, and follow this handy guide--trust us, you'll be sporting a good buzz before the first note to "California" even plays.

THE REGULAR OCCURRENCES
1.) Ryan tosses out his patented sideways look - 1 DRINK
If you've seen the show, you know what we're talking about--the squinty wannabe-Eastwood look to the side that either says "watch it pal" or "what you talking 'bout Willis?". Whenever Ryan does it, you take a drink. Some nights, this alone will account for a 6-pack.

2.) Marissa in miniskirt - 1 DRINK
This is 1 drink per miniskirt, and not per miniskirt-appearance. If you took a drink everytime they showed Marissa in a miniskirt on camera, you'd be passed out by the 15-minute mark.

3.) Summer says "ewwwww" - 1 DRINK
Another one that could kill a sixer quickly on the right night. And go ahead and drink double if "ewwwww" is said in conjunction with a poor person, bum, or Inland Empire native (see also number 5).

4.) Prescription drug mention - 1 DRINK
Whether its Valium or Xanax, seems like pill-popping is all the rage in the OC. So take 1 drink whenever you hear some sort of prescription medication referenced.

5.) Derogatory inland empire statement - 1 DRINK
This could come in the form of a "Julie Cooper's from Riverside" call, or the standard-issue "Chino" trash-talk. Anytime the Newps kids talk smack on the 909 (or any inland destination), drink up.

6.) Luxury car screen time - 1 DRINK
Anytime a BMW, Range Rover, Jaguar, Porsche, or Mercedes is shown or mentioned, you can go ahead and have another drink. If it's a Bentley or a Rolls, make it two drinks.

7.) Hard drug use - 1 DRINK (or comparable alternative)
When the kids of The OC tap into the hard stuff (cocaine, heroin, oxycontin), join the debauchery with yet another drink.

THE BIG ONES
1.) Two-timing and other sluttiness - 2 DRINKS
Whether it's Ryan cheating on Marissa with an older woman, Seth juggling Anna and Summer, or any of the other characters getting scandalous, take two drinks in the name of infidelity. (If it's a slow night, just go ahead and drink anytime ANY of the kids gets some)

2.) Someone from Ryan's past makes an appearance - 3 DRINKS
Whenever someone from Ryan's past, be it his mother, an old girlfriend, a brother, or just an old Chino chum turns up on the show, go ahead and take 3 drinks. (Yes, we know, the Thanksgiving episode would have taken out many a 12-pack)

3.) Same sex smut - 5 DRINKS
According to Vanity Fair, TV is experiencing a "gay heatwave", and "The OC" is no exception. We've already gotten our first dose of hardcore same-sex love with last week's episode, but seeing as being gay on TV is as popular these days as belly-button rings on teenage girls, there's undoubtedly more to come. 5 drinks for any girl-on-girl or guy-on-guy kissing shown.

4.) Character loses his/her virginity - POUND YOUR BEER
Sadly, this isn't as common of an occurrence as it was with "90210" and "Dawson's Creek". Unlike those shows, kids in the OC don't spend whole episodes (or even whole minutes) contemplating their virginity. Still, doesn't mean turning in the V-card shouldn't be treated with reverence when it does go down. The coming-of-age deflowering episode is a rite of passage as old as drama itself. So show some respect and finish your beer.

5.) Old 90210 cast member makes appearance - :10-MINIMUM KEG-STAND
Where would "The OC" be without its FOX drama-ancestor "Beverly Hills 90210"? So open wide and drink it down in honor of the Walsh clan, The Peach Pit, and all things 9-0.

THE NEW ADDITIONS
1.) Seth Cohen, The Hopeless Loser? - 2 DRINKS
Has teen angst ever been so much fun? We all had our awkward periods in high school, but did any of yours include having two of the hottest women at your school fighting over you? Yeah, we didn't either. But why question it? Propose a toast to living vicariously and take 2 drinks everytime Seth makes any sort of derogatory reference to himself (comic book & Magic the Gathering references count).

2.) Someone is wearing a bikini at a party - 4 DRINKS
Trust me kids, you'll never attend a night party in Orange County and see girls dancing around in bikinis. Of course, in "The OC" it's a regular occurrence. Take 2 drinks in the name of creative liberties.

3.) Oliver Trask, distant relative of John Edward - POUND YOUR BEER
The Christmakah episode saw the introduction of Oliver Trask, a smart-talking creep Marissa met in therapy (God I already hate him so much). Of course, like so many dark, mysterious slimeballs, he has the ability to formulate shockingly accurate psychological profiles after only knowing someone for a matter of seconds. Pound your beer whenever Oliver makes one of his Miss Cleo-style character assessments.

READER SUGGESTIONS
1.) The seemingly-inevitable fisticuffs - 1 DRINK
We caught plenty of grief for omitting this one the first time out. So from here on out, make sure you take a swig every time a punch is thrown (drink 2 on the rare occasion that Ryan is actually shown taking a punch). -- Stuart, N.Y.

2.) Sandy Cohen, the Surfer & Stoner - 2 DRINKS
Sure, he's a lawyer now, but we all know at one time Sandy Cohen dreamt of nothing more than long surf sessions and doobies the size of your wrist. So let's all take 2 drinks (or something comparable) whenever Sandy's surfing and/or pot smoking are mentioned. -- Kevin, Santa Barbara, CA

3.) Anna Stern uses a big SAT word - 2 DRINKS
Don't get us wrong, we love Anna. But sometimes her dialogue borders on Dawsonesque. Yes, she's a smarter-than-average high school student--but when The O.C. starts to go over our heads, a serious panic sets in. So take 2 drinks every time Anna demonstrates of her mastery of the English language.
-- Rachel, N.Y.

4.) O.C. Soccer Moms love their saunas - 3 DRINKS
Ok, we've harped on some of the faux-reality of The O.C., but this is dead-on. Wealthy O.C. housewives really do spend about half their time at the gym, and of course, they don't really spend their time working out (that's what plastic surgery is for). So in the name of documentary-style realism, take 3 drinks anytime one of the moms of The O.C. is shown getting into or out of a sauna.
-- Andrew, LBAIM Controller, Scarsdale, NY

NEW YEAR, NEW RULES (added 01/07/04)
1.) Ryan discovers a secret - 3 DRINKS
This guy is to secrets what John McLane was to hostage takeovers--he has an uncanny knack for being in the wrong place at the right time. Whether it's Julie Cooper hooking up with Caleb Nichol, sister Hailey's money problems, or Luke's dad's sexual orientation, Ryan always seems to be there whenever the O.C.'s secrets are revealed--so toast his serendipitous timing with 3 drinks.

2.) Slow Motion Drinkalong - CONTINUOUS DRINKING DURING SLOW-MO
Has anything been more classic than the NYE episode, when Ryan was rushing to find Marissa by midnight, and he comes out of the stairs, and straight into SUPER DRAMATIC SLOW-MO? As if the song lyrics cued up perfectly with the action weren't enough, they went for the gold medal with the McG-inspired variable rate slow-motion shot. They've used some stylish slow-mo before, but never for such dramatic effect. Simply put, it was PURE BRILLIANCE. So from now on, we drink for the duration of any slow-mo shot, however long it may be.

NEW YEAR, NEW RULES (READER SUGGESTIONS) (added 01/07/04)
1.) Captain Oats mention - 2 DRINKS
Quite a few readers have requested a Captain Oats score, but one made an even more startling realization--both Summer and Anna took an interest in Captain Oats before jumping Seth. Could this be indicative of Orange County women's draw towards plastic toys? I'll leave that for you to ponder, but let's go ahead and take 2 drinks whenever the world's most famous plastic horse gets his name dropped.
-- Ceanne, Edmonton, Alberta

2.) Jimmy Cooper hesitates - 2 DRINKS
After all he's been through, it's understandable if Jimmy Cooper has a bit of residual nerves and hesitation in his day-to-day life. But in all honesty, some nights this guy has more nervous energy than Kramer did in season 6 of Seinfeld. Whenever Jimmy Cooper makes a sheepish, worried-smile (You know the one, where he looks kind of constipated) or does his patented "ehh, I don't know" move, go ahead and take 2 drinks for him--in the hopes of calming his nerves.
-- Erin, Austin, TX

BRAND SPANKIN' NEW RULES FOR FEBRUARY SWEEPS (added 02/11/04)
1.) Sandy Cohen Proverb - 1 DRINK
Those of you who don't live in Orange County might not know it, but Berkeley-grad, Bronx-native lawyers are endowed with infinite wisdom when they move to Newport Beach. Seriously--it's sort of like the effect that Earth's sun has on Superman. This explains why Sandy Cohen is always giving out crucially-timed advice and pep talks like they were kittens. Whenever you can't tell if you're watching Peter Gallagher or Confucious as Sandy Cohen, take 1 drink.

2.) Luke Ward: The New Homie - 2 DRINKS
Has anyone ever made a faster turnaround than Luke Ward? We all hated him, then we find out his Dad (the "Dell I.T." guy) is playing for the pink team. Suddenly, Luke went from insecure, waterpolo meathead to best friend to all, fun-time party dude. Take 1 drink (and if so inclined, pour 1 out on the curb) for everyone's new best bro.

3.) Samurai Flute Music - JUST KEEP DRINKING
Ok, this is one we've been meaning to comment on--the cheesy flute music that they play during the most serious moments (often during one of the aforementioned Sandy Cohen proverbs)--it's like the show has suddenly been hijacked by Zamfir, Master of the Pan Flute. Now, if they brought out Mr. Miyagi, Daniel-San, or the evil Cobra Kai sensei it'd be acceptable, but until they do, just keep drinking whenever they play the Karate Kid-style flute music. 

Thursday, January 18, 2018

The O.C. Whoops: A rather sticky pilot episode goof up!

the o.c. tv show error

There isn't much wrong (story wise) with the pilot episode of The O.C..In fact in our very unbiased opinion ;) The O.C. pilot is flawless..But with that being said there are a few funny technical errors that were made during its filming. Recently our team of researches discovered one such error that hasn't been reported anywhere else!

The error happens when Kirsten approaches Sandy in the front of their house near the end of the episode. Kirsten distressed informs Sandy that Seth got into a fight and Sandy proceeds to literally not give a dang and says "at least he has someone to hang out with". As you see in the photo above there is some red making tape on the top of the stairs. We have highlighted for you in-case you are blind. This tape marks where the actors start a scene or where they stand when the director calls action. This was Kirsten's starting point marker and somehow nobody realized this in the editing room 😄!! 

Thursday, January 11, 2018

Behind the Scenes: The Newport Pier Restaurant!


You may or may not know but after a few episodes of season 1 of The O.C., much of the popular interior "Newport" O.C. filming locations we saw in the show were recreated inside Raleigh Manhattan Beach Studios. The Cohen house interior, Ryan's pool house, Marissa's lifeguard tower, Harbor School and more were all just elaborate sets housed within two indoor sound-stages. This is of course is a fairy normal practice in the filming industry. For instance when the TV show's creators know main characters are going to frequent a certain location - like the restaurant that the Friends cast hung out at or the restaurant the Seinfeld cast hung out at - they build a set. This happens because it gets more and more expensive to film on location - Furthermore controlling things like outdoor sounds - lighting etc can be very difficult. Thus you recreate a replica within a film studio, then you can pretty much film and control whatever you want. There was a good mix between on location shooting and indoor set shooting on The O.C. but Like anything the best sets were the ones that nobody knew were fake.

rachel bilson, adam brody, benjamin mckenie, mischa barton the oc diner restaurant

One real location you may have not realized turned into a set shortly after a few episodes was the "Newport" pier restaurant. You know, the place where the core-4 hung out - talked about their big plans or just grabbed a bite to eat.

ryan punches luke the oc diner restaurant season 1
ryan punches luke the oc diner restaurant season 1

It was also the same place where Ryan punched Luke in season 1 episode 2 "The Model Home". Ohhh memories! "You know what I like about rich kids...Nothing!"

the o.c. behind the scenes set photos restaurant

On to the good stuff - as you see in the above photo, this is a super rare, one of a kind image that reveals both Marissa's life guard tower and the pier restaurant sets. In the background you will see the exterior of the pier restaurant replica, complete with look-alike pier railing and wooden dock posts as the actual real location in Redondo Beach.

The green thing at the top near the roof is actually a backdrop similar to the Cohen ocean backdrop that can be rolled up and rolled down during filming - the backdrop contains a photo of the actual background at the real pier diner location in Redondo beach giving the illusion that they are really filming on location. To further the illusion the director would have background actors walk back and forth in the window background while the cast members shot scenes from inside. 

redondo beach coffee and bait restaurant OC

The actual restaurant is called Redondo Coffee Shop & Bait. It's a real life coffee shop/cafe that serves breakfast, seafood lunch and deserts but also doubles as a bait and tackle shop - you can actually rent fishing poles from them too. The restaurant is owned by a sweet Korean couple. In the show this location is suppose to be located on the Balboa Pier in Newport but it's actually located in Redondo Beach on a similar looking pier. A ton of on location scenes were filmed around this Redondo beach pier location including The Bait Shop (torn down sadly) and Sandy's law office building.

redondo beach coffee and bait restaurant OC menu

Here is a scan of their most current menu courtesy of SeeingStars.com. As you can tell they have a wide array of foods and their prices are pretty reasonable. Their Yelp review is actually very good too.  

redondo beach coffee and bait restaurant


Although some reviews complain that the interiors are outdated and are falling apart but that's the good part for fans of The O.C., the interiors have stayed the same over the last 15 years. Word on the street is that you can ask for the "Chino Special" your meal comes complete with a knuckle sandwich! 😉

redondo beach coffee and bait restaurant OC

When the show was still on TV the Redondo Coffee Shop was painted green and tan-ish color but this has since been changed to a yellow and blue color scheme. Personally this color scheme looks a lot tackier than the original but it's definitely attention grabbing!


redondo beach coffee and bait restaurant OC
redondo beach coffee and bait restaurant OC

This filming location can be found at 141 Fisherman's Wharf Redondo Beach, CA 90277. Many fans from all over the world have visited this location in hopes to dine in at the 3 booths where actors sat. Furthermore it's a very popular place for locals to hang out that probably never even heard or cared about the show. You can find a an assortment of O.C. fan pictures within the restaurant scattered around the interwebs - like the two above.

redondo beach coffee and bait restaurant OC autographs

When visiting the restaurant look out for this cast signed autographed photo. It's hanging inside the restaurant near the corner booth where Ryan, Seth and Marissa sat in season 1 episode 2 "The Model Home".

redondo beach coffee and bait restaurant OC booth

Here is the corner booth that Seth, Marissa and Ryan actually sat in season 1 episode 2 "The Model Home".

redondo beach coffee and bait restaurant OC booth seth and ryan


There used to be a coffee sign on the wall but has since been removed. However the big tip off is a painting of a coffee pitcher and two coffee mugs, has been there since 2003. The white frame at the top right corner is the autographed photo shown above.

redondo beach coffee and bait restaurant OC

redondo beach coffee and bait restaurant OC

Some additional angles of the restaurant



Last but not least a 360 movable photo a fan shot in the famous corner booth. So there you have it - alittle piece of O.C. history! Not only can you sit your tush where the cast of the O.C. sat their tush but you can also get your eat on - not a bad combination if you ask us!

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