Showing posts with label The O.C. Basement. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The O.C. Basement. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 17, 2020

The O.C Basement: The O.C. Cell Phone Game


In 2006 cell phone games were all the rage. Although the games created weren't the most technological or graphically beautiful, they served as a nice way to pass the time whenever you were waiting for your "buddy" to sign into AOL instant messenger, an actual telephone call, or the next O.C. episode to come out. 


One of which games was Gameloft's "The O.C.", a game that is based around The O.C. universe, created in 2006 (just one year before The O.C. ended). The games story depends on the character you select, but all stories revolve around the Harbor prom and Ryan being accused of stealing Taryn's (one of the Newpsies) car. Depending on the character you select you will get a different set of unique objectives. 

When selecting Ryan: "Prom night coming soon. Problem is, you've been accused of stealing a car and everyone is on edge now. It's up to you to set things right!"


In order to excel in the game, you must build relationships with the shows characters to gain points with them. This involves hanging out with them which also moves you through your goals and you earn more points..You get to also earn money in the game so you can buy things for the other characters and gain more favor with them (bribes). The game also features true to character dialogue which we think is actually pretty great, especially Seth's. 


When you start the game you get to choose which character you want to be, naturally there is 4 options - Ryan, Seth, Summer, and Marissa. Each character starts with a certain amount of trait points starting off (style, maturity, intelligence, and attitude. While playing, you may need a certain trait increased to proceed to the next objective. To do this, you can for instance boost intelligence by reading the book/magazine in the Cohens kitchen or build attitude by punching Ryan's punching bag. These trait boosting objectives are apart of the mini-games within the game. 



There are also multiple locations you can unlock and your character to "hang out" at. At first you only have access to one location (this is dependent on which character you choose) but as you play you gain additional access to the other locked areas as seen above. 


All the while there is an internal clock in the game - yes you're a teenager again and you must obey curfew! 



Additionally, the game features all the characters you would expect, Sandy, Kirsten, Seth, Ryan, Marissa, Summer, and even Julie (to whom you buy gifts from). Above is a video that shows how the game plays with actual footage from the game. No spoilers here, we wont disclose how the game ends!

Overall the game is pretty awesome but more-so because it's an OC game and let's face it, they are pretty rare! We'll take what we can get! Now, we know by now what you are thinking, "But can we still play it??"...Well, the answer is YES.

You can totally still play the game through an emulator that you must install on your computer. The one we tried was called KEmulator. They have emulators for nearly any device these days but an emulator basically makes your computer think you are on a Nokia phone. In order to play you must have the KEmulator (or another compatible one) and the .jar file (game file). 

Of course we wouldn't do you wrong and not include the download links!

Here is a link to the PC emulator you will need in order to play the game file (.jar file). If you are on a mac just search KEmulator + mac.
https://en.softonic.com/download/kemulator/windows/post-download
(we played on KEmulator Lite v0.9.8)

Game .jar file can be downloaded here!

If you are wondering if you can play the game via cell phone, you can but varies depending on if you are are on Apple or Android. In your application market you will have to search for a "J2ME" application that will give you the ability to play .jar files. From there you would load the .jar file into it and enjoy! 

Additional useful tip: When using KEmulator go to view then keypad to gain additional button access to fully play game. 

If you decide to play or appreciate this kind of post, please shout us on our official instagram page and let us know all about it!

Thursday, April 9, 2020

The O.C. Basement: Season One 2004 DVD Press Release


Below is vintage Season one DVD release notes from FOX on August 5th 2004. Enjoy!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

“The O.C. exploded into a pop-cultural phenomenon.” – New York Post

“The O.C. looks to have enough heart, talent and wit to generate a few seasons’ worth of luxurious suds” – Time

THE O.C.: THE COMPLETE
FIRST SEASON

Hit Primetime Series is Available For the First Time Ever on DVD in a Collectible Seven-Disc Set Featuring All 27 Episodes with Bonus Materials Including Deleted Scenes, Three Featurettes, and The O.C. Music Guide.

Available October 26 from Warner Home Video

BURBANK, CA (August 5, 2004) – Surf, sand, sex and scandal…The rich and glamorous city of Newport Beach, California is the setting for The O.C., one of today’s most hip and edgy television series making its way to DVD on October 26 in a collectible seven-disc set featuring all 27 episodes from Season One.  If you missed the first season, here is the chance to introduce yourselves to the hottest new show of the 2003-04 television season.  The O.C. stars hot young newcomers Mischa Barton, Benjamin McKenzie, Adam Brody, Rachel Bilson and Chris Carmack, as well as seasoned veterans, Peter Gallagher (American Beauty, Short Cuts), Tate Donovan (Murder at 1600), Kelly Rowan (Three to Tango), and Melinda Clarke (Mulholland Falls). Indulge in one of television’s most guilty pleasures, The O.C.: The Complete First Season, only five months following the first season finale and 1 week before the November 4th second season premiere on Fox.  The DVD is priced to own at $69.98.

The O.C. is a story of father/son and husband/wife relationships and the coming of age of three young people.  When Ryan Atwood (McKenzie), a tough, guarded fiercely intelligent teenager, plunges headlong into the wealthy, privileged community of Newport Beach, he soon discovers that the ruling families of Orange County are every bit as territorial as the tough crowd with which he ran on the streets of Chino.  For Sandy Cohen (Gallagher), the patient, pro-bono public defender who takes Ryan in; his wife, Kirsten (Rowan), the linchpin of O.C. society; their awkward adolescent son, Seth (Brody) – Ryan’s presence will forever change their lives.  Meanwhile, Marissa Cooper (Barton), the heartbreakingly beautiful girl next door who is dating her classmate Luke Ward (Carmack), seems to glide through life effortlessly--that is, until the indiscretions of her wealthy father, Jimmy (Donovan) threaten to break her world apart, along with that of her mother, Julie (Clarke).

“Just five months after the season finale, we are able to bring The O.C.: The Complete First Season DVD to viewers’ homes and introduce the series to those that missed the hottest new show of last season, one that quickly became a cultural phenomenon,” said Christine Martinez, WHV Vice President, Non-theatrical Franchise Marketing.  “Bringing quality television series that appeal to all audiences, such as The O.C., to the DVD marketplace is a goal we strive to achieve with each new release we have.”

DVD Special Features
Deleted Scenes with introductions by creator Josh Schwartz
Casting The O.C. featurette with creator Josh Schwartz and casting director Patrick Rush
The Music of The O.C. featurette with music supervisor Alex Pastavas
Inside The Real O.C. featurette with producer McG
Audio Commentary for The Pilot with creator Josh Schwartz and producer Stephanie Savage
The O.C. Music Guide for 6 episodes
Season 2 Sneak Peak with creator Josh Schwartz and the cast
Trailer for the ocinsider.com
DVD-Rom enabled


EPISODE SYNOPSES

1. Pilot
Ryan Atwood is a troubled teen who finds himself in even more trouble when his older brother, Trey, bullies him into participating in a car theft late one night in their hometown of Chino, California. The boys don't get far with the car as they crash it and are arrested. Trey is sentenced to three years in prison, but seeing as Ryan is under eighteen, he is set free under the supervision of public defender, Sandy Cohen. After Ryan is thrown out by his mother, he finds himself homeless with nowhere to turn. He calls Sandy, who without hesitation, takes Ryan in, and out, to his cushy home in Newport Beach, California. Ryan's arrival to Newport Beach sparks many a reaction among established residents. Sandy's wife Kirsten, for one, is not thrilled to have a criminal living in the house, and is concerned of the effect it may have on their son, Seth.

2. The Model Home
Faced of a life in a Group Home, Ryan decides to run away from Newport, but is convinced by Seth and Marissa to stay in secret, and hide out in a vacant building project. Jimmy discusses his recent financial woes with Kirsten, and she offers a solution. After Luke witnesses a close encounter between Marissa and Ryan, he confronts Ryan and a fight breaks loose. Ryan's presence in Newport is exposed in a big way, and two arrests are made.

3. The Gamble
Sandy comes to Ryan's rescue once again, after he has a difficult stay in Juvy. Seth makes Kirsten aware of his anger over Ryan's situation, and Kirsten makes a compromise. Ryan's mother, Dawn, makes a surprise visit to Newport, and things don't go quite as she, and Ryan, may have planned. The monetary secret involving Julie, Jimmy, Kirsten and Sandy comes to a head.

4. The Debut
It is that time of year... Cotillion. Cherished by many, hated by most, it's the time when Newport’s finest young ladies enter society. More information about Jimmy's business trouble comes to light, and Kirsten's loan to Jimmy is not happy news for Sandy.

5. The Outsider
Ryan takes a job serving at the Crab Shack diner. A co-worker at the diner might mean bad news for the Newport kids. Ryan asks Marissa out on a date. Sandy attempt to help Jimmy sort out his life, and gives him some bad news. Julie reveals a long-held secret to Kirsten. Disaster strikes at another one of Holly's parties.

6. The Girlfriend
Kirsten's father, Caleb Nichol, comes for a visit along with his new girlfriend, Gabrielle. 24-year-old Grandma Nichol has arrived. Kirsten finds her job in jeopardy, while Sandy considers making a change. Luke decides he wants a second chance with Marissa, to Ryan's disappointment. But who will Marissa choose? Summer makes the moves on Seth but is it for real?

7. The Escape
The Newport kids plan an end-of-summer trip down to Tijuana, Mexico (aka "T.J."). Jimmy has plans of his own, which don't sit well with Marissa. Sandy gets a new job, which Kirsten can't understand. Summer, Seth, Ryan and Marissa find themselves in a strange place together. Jimmy takes it too far. Disaster strikes one of the O.C. kids.

8. The Rescue
Everyone is back home in Newport now, and Marissa is recovering. Julie points her finger, and takes action, which Marissa does not like. Sandy starts his new job, but finds himself surprised by the casework. Kirsten finds herself surprised by Sandy's new co-worker. Ryan enrolls at his new school, with conditions. Julie gets an intervention, and Jimmy gets a new roommate.

9. The Heights
Back to school for the O.C. kids. No one really wants to be there, except the gossips. Ryan doesn't feel like he fits in at his new school. And Luke doesn't make the situation any better. Sandy accepts a case at his new job, a case that will test his relationship with Kirsten, and her father. Anna and Seth hatch a plan. Marissa chooses her man.

10. The Perfect Couple
Couples are plentiful in 'The O.C.' It is a night of firsts. Now that they are free to love one another, Ryan and Marissa plan their first official date. Kirsten sees her father with a new woman, and fears Sandy has found a new woman of his own. Seth takes matters into his own hands with a girl, and is taken by another girl.

11. The Homecoming
It's Thanksgiving time in ‘the O.C.' It's time for family reunions, and Ryan gets a call home from family. Is it because of the holiday, or is it for a favor? Marissa decides to go along for the ride, but ends up going down Ryan's bad memory lane instead. Seth plays the player role, but not very well.

12. The Secret
Seth and Kirsten want to avoid facing the world after their respective displays at Thanksgiving. Sandy has some advice for Jimmy, which doesn't sit well with Julie. Ryan and Luke find themselves getting along after an O.C. loved-one comes out of the closet with negative after effects.

13. The Best Chrismukkah Ever
Ryan, and the World, are officially introduced to the bi-religious holiday “Chrismukkah,” thanks to Seth. And Seth insists he has TWO Godly forces helping him as he plays TWO girls. Marissa has some 'discount shopping' to do, and finds herself in an embarrassing situation, or two, or three. Kirsten does something that could cost her more than just her job. Summer and Anna each have very special gifts for Seth, but which one will he like the most? And a new boy enters the Newport scene.

14. The Countdown
It's New Years and "love" is in the air. A sister returns home, and throws a party. Oliver casts his spell. Sandy and Kirsten find themselves in a rut, and out of their environment. Seth finally makes a decision between Summer and Anna. 2004 is born.

15. The Third Wheel
Hailey discovers she isn't as welcome as she might have thought. Perhaps the Cohen house is full. Luke makes some new friends, while Seth and Anna try to tell a friend about their decision. Rooney sings, a lot, and Oliver noses, a lot. Trouble brews.

16. The Links
Oliver plans a trip for the gang, but things don't go as well as everyone might have hoped- except for Oliver of course. Summer really plants herself into "friendship" within Anna and Seth's relationship. Jimmy and Sandy decide to go into business together. Caleb and Julie return from Europe, and Hailey and Kirsten butt heads. Ryan finds himself in the cold.

17. The Rivals
Sandy and Jimmy have plans to sign papers for the Lighthouse... but is Jimmy ready? Oliver makes his plans official to Ryan, but Ryan just cannot catch a break from anyone and fins himself in an all too familiar position. Summer has a "big" new boyfriend... for a little while. And Julie gets a job.

18. The Truth
Changes are happening within the couplehoods of the O.C.ers. Lines seem to be blurred. Oliver reveals himself as he falls apart, but not before Ryan is completely left in the cold. Someone loses school, one loses work, two lose their partners, and one more loses it all.

19. The Heartbreak
Sandy seems a little down as he’s still thinking about what could've happened with Oliver and that gun. Kirsten thinks it's time to move on and celebrate Valentine's Day.  Meanwhile, Seth has dropped by Summer's incredibly girly bedroom to talk shop. But first he's distracted by Summer's purple My Little Pony toy. Summer's about to kick him out when he begs for a chance to explain. He claims that it's not like he's choosing Summer. The reason he and Anna broke up in the first place is because for Seth, it's always been Summer.  Love is in the air and now Luke is standing on the front porch of Julie Cooper's.

Ryan is still concerned by everything that happened with Oliver. Marissa wants everything back as it was and wants to make it up to him. Ryan then runs into Theresa, his ex-Chino girlfriend who works the Valentine dance at school.

20. The Telenovela
Ryan and Marissa begin their life together as "friends", but both discover that it might be harder to do than to say. Theresa drops into Newport for work, and another visit. Julie and Luke discover the meaning of "booty calls", and Seth and Summer make a declaration.

21. The Goodbye Girl
Anna announces that she is leaving Newport to go back to Pittsburgh, which leaves Seth feeling saddened and guilt-ridden. Legal troubles brew for Caleb and Kirsten while Sandy works to solve them. Luke and Julie's secret romance is getting harder to contain, and Theresa brings a bit of trouble from Chino to the O.C.

22. The L.A.
When Summer and Marissa run into Grady Bridges, the star of Summer's favorite prime-time soap 'The Valley', he invites them to an LA party, to which they accept. On the road trip to LA, Seth, Summer, Marissa, and Ryan run into Hailey, now working at a strip club. Jimmy and Sandy present their restaurant to Newport's finest and approach Caleb for some financial help.

23. The Nana
Nana Cohen comes to California for Passover with some tragic news. Ryan searches for Marissa, who'd gone missing after learning Julie and Luke's secret, and he finds her in the most unlikely of places. Summer tries to impress Nana. Jimmy and Hailey take a step forward.

24. The Proposal
Jimmy and Sandy run into a roadblock in their effort to re-open the Balboa Lighthouse restaurant. Summer and Seth take it upon themselves to finally make Marissa feel more at home at Jimmy's. Everyone is shocked when Caleb makes a proposal, which sparks a near-fatal accident for Luke. Marissa, and Sandy and Jimmy each strike deals with Caleb. An old O.C. friend moves on.

25. The Shower
Everyone is still reacting to the surprise engagement of Julie and Caleb. Kirsten is shocked, and a little burdened to find she's been asked to be Julie's Maid of Honor. Kirsten and Marissa end up in charge of throwing Julie's wedding shower, and Marissa invites an unwanted guest. Theresa calls Sandy for help and tries to avoid Ryan. Jimmy and Hailey continue their romance, and Seth awkwardly meets Summer's father.

26. The Strip
It's Bachelor and Bachelorette party time for Caleb and Julie. Caleb and the boys head off to Las Vegas while Kirsten organizes an evening at the Cohen house for Julie, strippers included. Seth and Ryan get themselves into a tricky situation in Vegas while back home, Summer pines over lost love, and Marissa comforts Theresa. Jimmy and Sandy learn of Caleb's true motives. Julie and Hailey take a swim, while Theresa has some shocking news for Ryan and Marissa.

27. The Ties That Bind
Julie and Caleb walk down the isle, as Ryan and Theresa face a difficult decision regarding their pregnancy. Marissa moves into Caleb and Julie's new castle on the cliff, and Seth struggles to find himself when things around him seem to fall apart. Life in The O.C. comes full circle from one year before.

-whv-


Tuesday, October 16, 2018

Promotional Photos: Earliest promotional posters for The O.C.

We present to you the absolute earliest promotional photos promoting The O.C. to date. These rare images were presented on physical billboards to promote the shows first episode air date as well as a little teaser on what the would be viewer would witness. There is just something really special about these promo images though - maybe it was because at the time nobody had a clue the show would turn out as big as it did. 

Fun fact: Ryan was named "The Outsider" in his poster, episode 5 of season one used the exact same name. Notice Summer doesn't have her own promo. Well that is because the creators of The O.C. didn't have any plans for Summer becoming a main character until later. 

seth cohen misfit the oc promotional photo

Seth The Misfit

marissa the girl next door  the o.c. promotional photo

Marissa The Girl Next Door

luke the boyfriend the oc promotional photo

Luke The Boyfriend

ryan the outsider oc promotional photo

Ryan The Outsider

the o.c. promotional photo it's nothing like where you live. and nothing like what you imagine.

It's nothing like where you live.
And nothing like what you imagine.
The best new show of the fall is coming this summer. 

Tuesday, June 12, 2018

The O.C. Basement: Emma Stiles Australian Fan Fiction Writer

Developing imagination … Emma Stiles, 13, has written three online stories based on hit drama The OC and discusses script ideas with her friends via chatrooms. Photo: Ben Rushton

Here is a very early 2000's O.C. fan article - brought to you by The Sydney Morning Herald 2005


For fans of glamour soap The OC, the end of an episode is agonising. It means a week-long wait to find out whether Summer will open her heart to Seth, or whether Marissa and Ryan are meant to be.

So a growing number of impatient teenage girls are embracing a new craze known as fan fiction, in which they create their own scripts for favourite shows and post them on the internet. The website www.fanfiction.net allows devotees to write about hundreds of shows, movies and books ranging from Gone with the Wind to Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

California drama The OC is a top pick for many Sydney schoolgirls, although Summerland, Charmed, Lost and Desperate Housewives are also popular.

Balgowlah teenager Emma Stiles heard about the website from a friend four months ago. At first she read and reviewed other people's stories, all written under pen names, but soon she plucked up the courage to write her own.

Emma - known online as Summereth Ryrissa - has now written three stories about The OC. She discusses ideas with her friends via chatrooms and emails her favourite authors.

While others merge shows, create bizarre scenarios or use their own experiences, 13-year-old Emma prefers to stay true to the show. "My life wouldn't really fit The OC," she says.

Another website devotee, Genevieve Gilan, from the Central Coast, decided she would like to become an author after working on scripts for fan fiction. The 17-year-old believes her writing has improved.

"I think it's made me a lot more confident," she says. "It makes me think that if someone wants to read my writing [online], then if I ever do become a writer, they'll read that too."

Author Cecilia Dart-Thornton was discovered when she wrote for an online writers' workshop. She found it easier to post work on the internet than submit it to a publisher. "You can always pretend that people in cyber space aren't real," she says.

Some of the authors on Fanfiction are clearly beginners, whereas others are accomplished writers, she says. However, the site's real value is in encouraging imagination. "It is interactive and that's vital - you have some input, you have some control in a way of the world around you. You don't have to sit there and have things fed to you - you can give something back."

She suspects most of the writers are young women. "On the message board on my website it is mainly young women who contribute and discuss the books among themselves," she says. "They are very literate, very articulate and very sociable."

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. 

Monday, October 9, 2017

The O.C. Basement: Adam Brody's 2003 Underground Online Interview!


Here is a vintage early 2003 interview with Adam Brody by UGO.com. This interview took place right before the O.C. aired it's first episode! Enjoy! 

UGO ADAM BRODY INTERVIEW (??/03) BY ERIC S. ELKINS

If you've caught Adam Brody on the new WB series The O.C., you probably thought he was vaguely familiar. It could be because your favorite TV movie of all time is Growing Up Brady, and you recognize him as a young Barry Williams. If not, then you probably caught him in American Pie 2, or several MTV series, like The Sausage Factory and Undressed. Most recently, the 23-year-old played a teen in the breakout chiller The Ring.

UGO: It's weird doing this, not having seen the movie, but--

Adam: I'm sure you can imagine. Just look at the trailer, you'll get it.

UGO: You're kind of like the uptight guy who's bankrolling the whole thing?

Adam: A little bit, yeah. I wouldn't call it uptight; I like to say that he has ambitions. He is blowing his college tuition, so I think it's sort of just stinginess. In another sense, you could say he's the most responsible one. But, that said, it's a boarding movie, it's a comedy, I just don't care. I could get into it, but what's the point?

UGO: Got it. So how did playing Barry Williams inform your portrayal of a skateboarding teen?

Adam: Probably worsened it… couldn't have less to do with it. I did sing a couple of songs and do a couple of dances. So, that didn't come into play at all. Actually, there is. There's a dance sequence in Grind, and I just hearkened back to my Barry Williams days, and drew upon that experience for the performance, and used that to fuel my dance fever.

UGO: Very nice. What's that all about? Why is there a dance number?

Adam: Sort of like a retro break dance. Ideally, it's funny. Theoretically, it should make you laugh. It should not make you want to dance.

UGO: Did you guys have to do a lot of practice?

Adam: We did one practice session that Vince didn't show up to. We sort of winged it, and-it wasn't intensive. I wish I had a good story: "We went to boot camp and…" no, no. I think we were all pretty much not up to taking a dance scene too seriously when we signed up to do a skateboard movie. I would have been pretty bummed to, you know, take numerous dance lessons. But it was fun, it's cool.

UGO: So did you have a skateboarding boot camp?

Adam: No, actually! We got cast very quickly before filming, so skateboard boot camp happened on the set. Every day, we had a skateboarding park to ourselves, and so, we got free run of the place, which, as every skater knows, these places get crowded. So, to have these places, especially if you're not that good, and you're kind of embarrassed-you know what I mean?

UGO: You have 8-year-olds kicking your ass-

Adam: Exactly-slapping you around. So, it was great. We didn't get run off the track, we had the place to ourselves. Vince made us all feel better about our skateboarding abilities, because he's so bad.

UGO: If you were a superhero, what would your superpower be, and why?

Adam: I only get one superpower? There's so many, it's hard to narrow it down to one power. I think flying would be pretty awesome, and, not only that, convenient in so many ways. I'd say flying. I hate airports, so…

UGO: Gore Verbinski has this huge hit on his hands. Did you have any idea when you were doing The Ring that this guy was going to be huge?

Adam: Well, he'd just come off The Mexican, so, I mean, he had Naomi Watts in this movie, and she had just come off Mulholland Drive at the time. I knew that they were both probably in for something, and I thought it was a cool movie and an awesome idea. It was very intriguing, it wasn't just a typical slasher movie, and those are fun, too, but. I was still very excited to work with him, and at that point, he was the biggest director I'd worked with. To do a scene opposite Naomi Watts, I mean, that was great! Love it!

UGO: Do you play video games?

Adam: You know what? I do, I love-my friend has Kelly Slater Pro Surfer and it's so fun. I love it. But, I grew up playing them, but I've resisted buying a PlayStation 2, because I'm not going to school and I'm feeling sort of guilty about it, so I'm trying to read a lot to kind of make up for that. And I just feel, I have too many friends who get one and disappear for three months, "Sorry man, I got a PlayStation 2, I beat the game finally, and I'm back…" It's, seriously, like, I want all my friends to have one. I'm on this show now, where I'm trying to get my friend to get one for his dressing room, because I don't want one in mine. If he gets one in his, perfect! Because I can go over there every once in a while. It's a perfect thing for your friends to have. I'm just afraid I'd be addicted, and I'm trying to work on (sighs) literacy right now.

UGO: So what are you reading?

Adam: I read the paper everyday, and I read Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer. It's really good.

UGO: He's, like, 23 years old.

Adam: 24, and, once again, make me feel a little inadequate. It's really good. This guy on set handed me one of Gore Vidal's books, Dreaming War. That's pretty eye-opening. I don't know if he's necessarily right about everything, but there are some crazy scary points he brings up. I try and read a broad spectrum of books. But, I will say this, whatever I read has to sort of be critically acclaimed. Because I'll see any movie-I see a movie and it's good, and I'm rewarded because it's a good movie, and if it's bad, it gives me an ego boost, sort of, and I can pat myself on the back-but books-it takes too much time to read anything bad. I can't, like, devote two weeks of my life to something that sucks. Or might suck. It has to, definitely, be good and worth my time. I really finish them-I can't go half-way and say, "It sucks." I get so mad-I'm in the middle of it, and I'm, like, "Why didn't I listen?"

UGO: The OC actually starts tonight.

Adam: I'm excited. I've been reading every review I can.

UGO: That's a big commitment.

Adam: Theoretically, you sign on for seven years. And my only fear about that, well, there's two fears. Ideally, you want it to be successful. But then the fear is, if it's successful, a) I'm going to get stuck with this for the rest of my life, and b) I'm 23 playing a kid who's 16. I'm a little on edge about that. I was hoping to play a little older, but you can't do anything about it. So the good news is, for the first part, as far as being stuck with the character, that is has to do with your choices in the off season, and I'm going to really try, if the show works out, to make good choices in the off season. If that means not doing a movie during the hiatus, because the only ones I can get or am offered are variations on the same character, for the same audience, and it's not going to really reach another level, it takes a lot of restraint to say no. But, like, if you look at Topher Grace, for example, he's been on the show for five, six years, and he's only done two or three movies. That means he's said no to a lot of movies. That said, his career is great, because the movies he did were awesome. I almost look at his career as a sort of role model. It'll take a tremendous amount of strength, because I know if we get through the season to the hiatus, I'm going to want to do a movie so bad, and everyone's going to go. And if I only get one and it's no good, it's going to be so hard to say no. But it's the smart thing to do, so I'm going to try. If you play your cards right, you can transcend one character-although I'm sure a lot people said that.

And then, for the other thing, as far as being kind of old, Ben, my other friend on the show, is 24 and we're both playing the same age, so I don't feel so bad. At first I was like, I hope I'm not the Gabrielle Carteris of the series, as long as I have a partner in crime, I'm alright with it. And also, the cool thing with Josh, the creator, he turns 27 tomorrow. He gets it, and like, he's not going to keep us in high school forever. He assured me, he said, "Adam, I have no interest in high school. Your locker's not going to be home base. I don't want a bunch of backpack scenes." I was so sad, because he said, "I've decided-you're going to be seniors if Fox is okay with it." And they didn't OK it. We're juniors. But still, he promises we're not going to be juniors for two years and seniors for two years.

UGO: Now you're set up to be part of the Punk'd crowd, too.

Adam: I know! And you know what? Literally, this psycho couple walked right into my dressing room the other day. It was so ridiculous, I thought I was being Punk'd. These people came in and they started yelling at me. They were just these guys who'd snuck on the lot, and they were, like, "Were you in American Pie?" What the hell? And, "Give my girlfriend work," it was crazy.

UGO: Who's going to go see Grind 22 times in the theater?

Adam: The ushers. I don't know anyone who's going to see Grind 22 times in the theater. My mom. Some kid who has short-term memory loss and forgot that he's seen it.

Tuesday, September 19, 2017

The O.C. Basement: Peter Gallagher sings The O.C. theme song!


Here we have Peter Gallagher attempting to sing The O.C. theme song at the 2012 Alzheimer's Association 20th Anniversary Event. This is beautiful Peter, we'll never forget this! Peter Gallagher is a huge supporter in Alzheimer's research as his mother suffered from this horrible disease. We love you Peter! More on Peter's experience with Alzheimer's as well as info on his mother can be found here.

Tuesday, August 8, 2017

The O.C. Basement: Early Season 1 Review by Adweek


The following is an article written during the first season of The O.C. by Craig Russell of Adweek.com. This will give you an idea of what some people were thinking during the shows first run! Enjoy!

So Far, So Good, But...
Before beginning my weekly take on the O.C., I figure I should let my overall opinions of the show be known. First things last: All the hype is pretty much deserved. Not since 90210 has a prime-time soap been this much fun. And while there have been better quality teen dramas in-between (My So-Called Life, Freaks & Geeks), there haven't been any quite as shamelessly entertaining. 

That said, the O.C. is not without its flaws. When it debuted back in the summer of '03, it was terrific. The first seven episodes flowed seamlessly (my personal favorite: the Rebel Without a Cause influenced Model Home). But something was not quite right when the show returned in October. The first few episodes were slow and awkward. Then Oliver came along, and things got even worse.

It's not a good sign when people are throwing around the term "jump the shark" in a program's first season. But that's how much some of us disliked Marissa's therapy buddy Oliver. And while I was part of that group, what troubled me more was how they rushed the storyline along at breakneck speed, and poof! Oliver had come and gone in six less than stellar episodes, including the horrendous Third Wheel - a.k.a. The Rooney Infomercial...

And the pacing has stayed that way ever since. It's as if they have little confidence in the buzz behind the show lasting very long, and want to capitalize now - which is a mistake. At the rate they're going, they'll run out of storylines by the third season. Dawson lasted longer than that. How else can you explain the writers already resorting to something as ridiculous as the affair between Mrs. Cooper and Luke?

Some friendly advice? Slow it down. Fox should know it has a good thing going, almost a phenomenon considering reality television's chokehold on the medium as a whole. There are good characters on this show, and not just the kids. We're not living in 90210's Peanuts-like existence. In fact, most people I talk to have a tough time deciding whether their favorite character is Seth or his father. And that's a good thing too (I'd give the slight edge to Peter Gallagher's Sandy)...

Overall, The O.C. has been a blast. But, call me selfish, I'd like to see it hang around for a while. As long as they keep the adult plots at least on par with the teens, this show has the potential for longevity - even in today's short-sighted TV world.

- cRAIG
CRussell@adweek.com

Monday, July 31, 2017

The O.C. Basement: Early O.C. Insider Promotional Video!


Ah yes The O.C. Insider, your source for everything the O.C. before we came about muhahahaha! This clip features very rare and early promotional footage of a commercial created to showing the benefits of joining the insider club. As you can see members got all sorts of perks, like Mondo discounts on O.C. merchandise (we love that they used the word mondo).

If you're still unsure what the O.C. insider was or you're wanting to learn more take a quick history lesson from Sandy Cohen - check this out!

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

The O.C. Basement: Benjamin Mckenzie before and after reaching stardom!


In the above awesome and rare video we get to take a look back at Benjamin Mckenzie before and after reaching stardom on The O.C..Starting off with a highschool touchdown! As you maybe can gather much of  the O.C. on location footage was taken from the Season 1 episode titled "The Links" when Oliver takes the gang to his parents Palm Springs retreat to play golf.

A few things we learned while watching the video:


  • Fascinatingly Ben had a super small resume prior to playing in The O.C. but despite that he was able to beat out 500 other people trying out for the role of Ryan Atwood. 



  • Ben reassured his family back at home in Austin that he's still the same person "but leads a little more stranger life". Admits he wears a little more makeup these days but adds that he is still the football playing bar-b-que eating kid he was 5 to 10 years ago. 


Benjamin Mckenzie was known to be the most modest spender of all the younger O.C. cast members, claiming to have only bought a new infinity when striking new fame. But in this video it revealed that he bought a new apartment in Santa Monica as well, which we all could have assumed.


Ben claims in stardom that "You're still the same person, nothing has changed for you its just how people perceive you". Pretty thought provoking!

Rachel Bilson, Samaire Armstrong and Mischa Barton all had great things to say about the Ben. 

Rachel: "He's so cool. Ben is awesome and you know whats great, he sticks to his Cowboy boots no matter what, he always wears his cowboy boots." Picture a Ryan Atwood in cowboy boots, not really sure that would work! 

Samaire: "Ben is so fun because like, he's mostly a sincere sturdy guy but once you crack that smile and actually get him to giggle he's so much fun to be around."

Mischa: "He's great. I mean you know I think he's the perfect choice for Ryan, he's got like, he's added a lot of depth to the character, he's just so nice and very down to earth."

Benjamin Mckenzie mentions a few things he misses being away from Austin, TX since landing the big gig The O.C.:

1. 6th Street
2. No good bar-b-que
3. No blues country folk music scene out in LA 
4. No Barton Springs (a recreation outdoor swimming pool in Austin, TX) 
5. No UT Football "Go Horns!"

Ben also mentioned that Adam Brody promised to teach Ben how to surf but hasn't gotten around to it yet. I wonder if he ever did!

Monday, October 3, 2016

The O.C. Basement: A day in the life of an O.C. extra!


The guy on the right is Buzz Rodell playing a club extra in the Luna Chicks club scene in
Season 1 Episode 22 "The L.A."


A DAY IN THE LIFE OF AN O.C. EXTRA
He's a fan that got a chance to live out his dream.
This is his story...a day as an extra on The O.C.
Read about the day in his own words:

Buzz Rodell is the official O.C. blogger.
Keep up on his distorted look at the world through Newport-tinted sunglasses: http://www.ocfan.blogspot.com/ (no longer a website)

"The L.A." episode aired March 24th, 2004 on FOX

On the tenth day of the second month of the year 2004, I, Buzz Rodell, set out on a quest. I left my apartment, a man unknown, and I was to return...

...a superstar.

The entire voyage begins about a week before that fateful February 10th. The Baron, ever vigilant and ever connected, hits me with an instant message:

BARON: There's word that they'd like you to be an extra.
BUZZ: I can almost smell Summer now...

I am a faithful follower in the church of "Too Good To Be True." Therefore, I wasn't putting all my Buzz-eggs in my Buzz-basket. The topic fell by the wayside while The Baron and I discussed folk rock and his sweet Malibu. Days later, the topic would rise again.

BARON: There seems to be some movement.
BUZZ: Oh yeah? I don't believe you.
BARON: Check your e-mail.

Inside the e-mail, The Baron attached a copy of the memo asking that I be allowed to visit the set. It was sent to people within The O.C. organization. I saw names like "McG" and "Josh Schwartz." I knew it was legit. The Baron knows better than to lie to Buzz Rodell (Buzz Rodell knows where The Baron lives). Excitement stirred in my belly. My gigantic, beer-laden belly. However, we were approaching the date of the shoot and there was still no official word from the big shots.

They wanted to see Buzz Rodell sweat.

Monday, February 9th, The Baron struck again.

BARON: We're moving on the extra thing.
BUZZ: Shut up. You're a liar.
BARON: Seriously, it's going down tomorrow.
BUZZ: I wish you weren't a liar.
BARON: We don't have all the details yet, but you'll have them tonight.
BUZZ: You've always been my favorite, Baron. That Buckle kid stole pens from me once.

The Buzzer got nervous.

So somewhere in the state of California, the name "BUZZ RODELL" was typed onto a list along with the names of some twenty or thirty other extras. The Buzzer was to have his day. However...it was not to be without some bumps...

The Baron gave me the skinny on what I needed to do. The scene was taking place in a night club, the infamous club Deep located at the even more infamous intersection of Hollywood and Vine. I'll be honest. I'm not a night club going fellow. I like to chew the fat in a nice cozy dive bar with Billy Squier or Van Halen rocking away on the jukebox. I haven't been in a night club since probably 1999. And the Buzzer don't dance, but he certainly rocks and rolls. Anyway, because of my club drought, I needed some club appropriate attire.

The Buzzer was even more nervous.

I headed out to my local trendy outfitter that night and picked up a pair of sharp black slacks for a reasonable $58. So far...The O.C. cost me $58. I think I can deal. Upon returning to my car, The Baron had left me a message on my cellular-tellular.

BARON: Buuuuuuzz...what's up buddy [insert random laughter]? So here's the deal. Tomorrow...Hollywood and Vine...9:30am. You're looking for a guy named The Key [please note that The Key's name, like everyone else's, has been changed to protect his uber-secret identity]. He'll get you in, show you around. So buuuuuddy, The Buckle and I will be there around 10am. Are you ready to be a superstar [insert more random laughter]? Later.

The Buzzer was sweating with nervousness. In about 12 hours, he could be face to face with any number of O.C. cast members and fumbling around on turf that wasn't his.

Buzz Rodell...was scared.

I woke up around 7:30am, Pacific Standard Time. It was time to get psyched up for the big day. I turned on my iTunes and kept the Van Halen coming. Panama is without a doubt, the best song in the last thirty years. I needed to leave at 8:30am because in L.A., you can count on traffic taking up a good chunk of your morning. I figured it would take me almost an hour to drive into the heart of Hollywood. I put on my freshly ironed black slacks, tossed on my brownish short sleeved shirt and laced up my big ass black shoes. I took a deep breath, gazed at the magnificent specimen of man looking back at me in the mirror, and I headed out.

I drove down Santa Monica Boulevard, one of the few pieces of old Route 66. California is beautiful in the mornings, especially during these months. The colder temps keep all the pollution from mucking up the skies and the Hollywood sign stands out against the green hills for all to see. Ah, but I digress.

Somewhere around 9:15am, I stumbled across Hollywood and Vine and saw the street littered with the usual bulks of filming aids. Lights, scaffolding, trucks, props, union dudes. I found my way to the parking lot where the circus was camped out and told that "crew" needed to park in a lot down the street. After asking the guard, "Do you know who I am?" I turned and left for the alternate lot. I parked, grabbed my trendy bag and walked back.

When I got there, I called The Key. Five minutes later, The Key was there and ushered me into the world of being an extra. The parking lot was full of well parked trucks, wardrobe trailers and cast trailers. There was also one massive tent to house the lowly extras and a couple of catering trucks. It was magnificent. The doors on the trailers read, "SETH," "SUMMER," "RYAN," "MARISSA." Another trailer was parked away from the hoopla with the names "PARIS" and "CARMEN" written on the doors.

The other extras were lined up and getting signed in. I stood with The Key waiting for Buckle and Baron to appear. The Key had to go make some Key-related calls and I just kept watch near the wardrobe truck. One of the production assistants then smiled called to someone behind the truck and out of my view. "Ms. Mischa!" The P.A. said. Mischa? Mischa Barton? I mean, who else could it be? Sure enough, the statuesque dame sauntered around the truck. Yikes. My nerves kicked up again. I saw Mischa standing there, and all I could hear her say was, "BOP BOP BOP." She laughed with the P.A. and headed back to her trailer.

Baron and Buckle showed up right on schedule. Which is rare for a couple of goons. We geared me up with a wireless microphone and started rolling. About ten minutes later, a silver Lexus pulls up. The dude inside is wearing glasses, track pants and a backwards baseball cap. At first glances, I had no idea who this guy was and why he was driving such a nice car. But there's something familiar about this guy...Buckle answers the $64,000 question...it's Ben McKenzie in his pre-Ryan Atwood phase.

Settle down ladies.

We got me signed in and The Key introduced me to one of the most kick ass guys I've met in a long time. His name was...well, we'll call him The Wrangler. He kept track of all the extras and knew exactly what was going on. This guy got me in and out of the right places and really came through for us. Cheers to The Wrangler! Anyway, the Wrangler took me over to wardrobe where they said my outfit was perfect except for my white undershirt. They swapped it out for a black shirt that hugged my body like another layer of skin. I'm glad I had an over shirt on so the world wouldn't have to see my less-than-fit contours.

Buzz Rodell needs a treadmill.

We got some more footage of me exploring the many locations and activities of an extra. Everything from make-up to hitting on other extras to using the REALLY nice porto-potties. Seriously, they were nicer than my can at home. Sometime around noon, The Wrangler made the call..."Heeee-yaw little doggies! Time to make us some television magic!" Okay, so that's not really what he said, it was more like "You...you...you...group one. Go ahead." Sure enough, because I had the "in," I was part of group one. My time had come.

They led about fifteen of us into the club and into a large room while they finished marking and setting up in the entrance way. Josh Schwartz was there going over the script, I wanted to go over to him and tell him that a buddy of mine thought Luke needed an older brother. But before I could, we were moved on to the entrance of the club for the first shoot of the day.

They arranged us like fleshy chess pieces about the room to make the place look crowded. Buckle had followed me in and was filming my rockin' job from the back. I was paired with a sweet young lass from Minnesota who was happy to give me a few pointers about my extra debut. That helped me chill out and enjoy the process...

...until she walked into my life.

The kids came in to film the first shot. Rachel, Adam, Ben and Mischa. And they all set up only a few feet from Buzzer's delicious backside.

This first scene was rough for me. I was not only drinking warm faux-beer faster than any sane man should, but I was set up in a bizarre stance so that when the camera came through, Ms. Minnesota could lean against me and we'd pretend to be hitting it off. Somewhere in the five takes, I also spilled that warm faux-beer down the leg of my $58 pants. But really...I didn't care. This was GREAT! The camera pans down from a couple of dancers to move DIRECTLY across my face. And all of that was thanks to The Key and The Wrangler who got them to move me into the perfect spot. Hey mom! I'm on the TV! Send money!

"Aaaaaand cut! Okay, take five!" I learned that "take five" in television lingo, actually means more like "take twenty or more." The extras were herded back out into the parking lot while the Buckle and Baron stowed away in the back room where the stand-ins and make-up and hair people stood ready. That's when another familiar face appeared. From the dark corners of the club, dressed in costume as one of the club dancers, Amanda Righetti (a.k.a. Hailey Nichols) came over for a chat.

I can't help but be nervous, poor Amanda was blessed with the "gorgeous" gene and she's casually chatting with us like we're old friends. Buckle takes the initiative and gets me wired up again. We're going to do a quick interview with her.

Buzz Rodell has never interviewed a celebrity of any caliber. Unless you count talking to the mirror in the mornings, HI-YAH!

We sat in a booth and I told her that I was nervous. I took a deep breath, and The Buckle was rolling.

It played perfectly. Better than I could have planned. Amanda was so nice and so on her game, that she made it a walk in the park. I floated out of the booth so The Baron could do some serious journalism. Thank you Amanda Righetti.

The nervousness was gone. I am Buzz Rodell. Hear me roar.

The Key set off to find out when we could pow-wow with the rest of the Get Along Gang. He returned to tell us we'd have some time after the next scene was finished. I left The Baron and Buckle behind to go see when the next scene was starting. I met up with The Wrangler and he said, "Sooner than a couple of polecats stealin' eggs from the chicken coop!" Well...that's not really what he said. It was more like, "Right now." So I jumped into a pack of extras and headed back inside the club.

The next scene was in a larger bar area. Booths were along one wall, two poles for girls to dance on were near the middle, and there was one more large area for girls to dance on next to the bar. That's where I crept in. I figured, the Buzzer already had his big moment, it's someone else's turn. I took my 2nd faux-beer and leaned casually against the dance area. There was another extra next to me who was a little...off. He'd later be removed from the property after an altercation with Ms. Hilton's bodyguard.

But that doesn't matter. What matters is that Ms. Righetti turned out to be dancing on the area behind me, I said hey and used some of the Buzzer charm on her. Finally, it was go time again. To get us in the "club" mood, they blasted about ten seconds of some song at us to get us in the beat. Then they turn it off and start filming. I don't have any rhythm with the music ON, and when you turn it off, I just thrash around like a fish on dry land. Buckle was able to get that on tape, so you can probably see the disaster-dance on tape. They did about five or six takes, and got what they wanted. Booyah.

I headed in back and had to use some VERY uniquely decorated bathroom facilities. When I got back to the table, Baron and Buckle were set up and filming. Benny Mac was taking questions from The Baron like a pro. It was like watching two top seeded tennis stars work each other over with a fury of smashes. When it was done, Benny Mac shook their hands and then was introduced to Buzz Rodell. The Mac attack extended a hand, and I shook it. Nice to meet you Mr. McKenzie, welcome to the Pool House...

...But it wasn't over. As Ben was escaping our clutches, Ms. Bilson rounded the corner into the back room. Rachel is familiar with The Buckle and The Baron, they've interviewed her before. Most of the cast knows those thugs. However, today there was a stranger with them. I'm not sure who introduced me to her, all I could hear was Gary Wright's "Dream Weaver" at that moment. Rachel said, "You're Buzz! I have to hug you!"

...and she did.

I woke up three days later with a note where my wallet should be. It said, "Dear Buzz, thanks for the $60. Enjoy Mexico. Sincerely, The Buckle."

Actually, that's not what happened. We didn't have much time to sit with Rachel and Brody was waiting in the wings. We filmed a tender little Buzz/Rachel clip and The Baron got into his interrogation mode to fire questions at her. I sat in the booth just down from her and just watched quietly.

And then I blinked, and she was gone and Simple Minds' "Don't You Forget About Me" blasted in my head.

Laa la la la laa, la la la laa, la la la la la la la...when you walk on by...

Brody stepped up to bat. This guy is a 6-foot-something, curly headed pro. I mentioned the Thanksgiving centerpiece to him:

BUZZ: I turned you into a Thanksgiving decoration.
BRODY: Oh yeah?

That was about it. Once I realized I did a bang-up job of making a fool of myself, I shut up. The Baron started in again, and Brody just stuck with it. He's a funny guy, and I want to compare him to Seth, but I hate when people compare actors to their characters, so he's not Seth, he's Adam Brody. Then The Baron dropped the bomb about the people finding out about Stevens Team. Brody laughed and mentioned that he doesn't really play in the band, just practices along with them.

The next scene was ready. This was the last one before they called for lunch...which was at 4:30pm. That's almost dinner...eh, Hollywood types.

The Baron, The Buckle and I ravaged the food buffet. They had to wheel me back on to the set. Delicious food. Cast and crew get to go first, extras and web heroes go last.

We headed back into the club and prepared our next move. We wanted to get Mischa on tape soon so we could head out before the L.A. traffic kicked into full gear again. The Key went out in search of info and came back saying she was available after the next scene was filmed.

By then, I had called it a day. I had my moment on film, talked to Rachel and was just having more fun watching than participating. We waited for Mischa.

Somewhere around 6pm, Buckle and Baron had their window to chat up Ms. Barton. I stayed behind to watch our hi-tech fancy film gear. Sorry Mischa, maybe you'll get to meet me next time.

After that, we packed up the gear and snuck out the backdoor. We gave Josh Schwartz a wave on the way out and hit the corner of Hollywood and Vine.

What a day.

As we walked back to our cars, we laughed about the day. I think The Baron might have cried a little knowing that film history was about to be made. All in all, it was a great experience. Being on the set is slow, grueling work and the Buzzer wussed out WAY before the rest of the cast did. Rumor has it that their day probably didn't end until after 7:30pm that night.

When I got home that night, I took off my big, clunky shoes and crashed on the couch. Before I fell asleep, all I could think of was:

"Californiaaaaaa! Here we cooooooooome!"

My name is Buzz Rodell, and I was once an extra on The O.C.


And here we have Buzz interviewing his long time crush Rachel Bilson!!

Thursday, August 18, 2016

The O.C. Basement: Sidekick II Sweepstakes plus more!


Back in 2005 the official fan club of The O.C. "The O.C. Insider" featured an awesome contest!
You simply had to fill out the contact form with basic stuff like name, email, birth date and wallah your submission went out! The prize was none other than the very high-tech Sidekick II. Which was timed perfectly with the release of Season 3's episode 5 "The Perfect Storm", also known as the camera phone that captured the Dean Hess and Taylor Townsend making out!


The O.C. featured product placement such as this throughout the series but none are as obvious as the Sidekick II! When sandy tells Dean Hess "This little puppy is a phone, surfs the web and unfortunately for you it transmits photos" its a clear sign that Josh Schwartz was welcomed to the dark side. But never the less it was done tastefully!


Here's one of the close-up shots of Taylor Townsend using her bedazzled Sidekick II. She is messaging Dean Hess, notice the Dean's messaging handle "Dartman 4 U", wonder what that even means. Even more interesting is the date on Taylor's Sidekick, September 15th. The episode didn't air until November 3rd, so September 15th could very well be the day the filmed the episode or scene!



Lets take a look at the beefy specs shall we!
  • Flip screen 
  • Screen Size: 5.1″ x 2.6″ x 0.9″
  • Weight: 184g (6.2oz)
  • Display: 240×160 pixels, over 65,000 colors (16-bit color), Transflective TFT screen viewable in bright sunlight
  • 5-row QWERTY keyboard , dedicated number row , dedicated 12-key dialpad area , includes easy access key for @ symbol
  • Backlit screen and keyboard with light sensor
  • Integrated VGA (640 x 480 pixel) camera, supplemental LED for close-range illumination , night mode setting for darker environments, convex mirror for self-portraits
  • Navigation and Controls
  • Scroll Wheel with push capability
  • Send/End buttons (with page up/down capability)
  • Directional pad
  • Control buttons: Menu, Jump, Done, Cancel, Volume up/down, Power , Application-specific shoulder buttons
  • Front and back speakers
  • Speakerphone
  • 12-voice polyphonic sounds
  • Vibration Motor
  • GSM/GPRS radio Tri-band (900/1800/1900 MHz) Multislot Class 10 functionality
  • Wireless off “airplane mode”
  • Memory: 32 MB RAM, 16 MB Flash
  • Battery, Rechargeable internal Lithium polymer battery
  • Interfaces: Audio jack, Power jack, Lanyard attachment



Interestingly enough Big Boi, Paris Hilton, Burt Reynolds, Molly Shannon, Snoop Dog and Wee Man were all featured in the promotional commercial above. Did Molly Shannon just say let me Ask Jeeves!?! Ewwwwww, good gosh the worst search engine known to man, even back then! Ahhh a true spectacle of the early 00's sigh..Who would have thought that devices like these would soon take over our lives in a much bigger way than just looking up recipes and chatting! One thing is unsolved though, who won the Sidekick II?!

To read more about O.C. Insider click here!

Wednesday, August 3, 2016

The O.C. Basement: Mad Magazine The O.C. Edition!



In the June 2004 issue of Mad Magazine, The O.C. was featured in the magazine with their version of The O.C. called The O.D.!

Tom Richmond (Artist)

Tom Richmond (artist) and Dennis Snee (writer) packaged up a very humorous satirical comic strip that true fans can laugh about. The piece features most of the characters from season one, including Anna and Luke!


Without further ado, enjoy these epic O.C. caricatures and hilarious dialogue below! Also make sure to read the epic true story at the very bottom! Click on each page for easy reading! 

the o.c. mad magazone june 2004 the od

the o.c. mad magazone june 2004 the od

the o.c. mad magazone june 2004 the od

the o.c. mad magazone june 2004 the od

the o.c. mad magazone june 2004 the od



About a year or so after the The O.D. piece was published in Mad Magazine Danny Bilson (Rachel Bilson's father) calls Tom Richmond (the artist behind the artwork). Danny Bilson asked Tom if he by any chance had the splash page (what you will see below), Danny was looking to purchase it due to being an overly proud father. Unfortunately Tom gave his original to someone else but was so honored by the request that he contacted Mad Magazine and got them to reprint 2 large size splash page's. 



One for Rachel and her father and the other to have Rachel Bilson sign and mail back as a shameless trade-off. Since Rachel was dating Adam Brody at the time he was lucky enough to get Adam's signature as well! Rachel writes "Tom - Thanks <3 I've never looked better" and Adam said "Tom I love being punched in the face". Tom framed it up and displays it outside his studio along with other greats like Lost, Sopranos and Two and a Half Men. 



Bonus Features: 

Danny Bilson is no newbie when it comes to comics! Read about the time that Adam Brody and Rachel Bilson's dad teamed up to create the comic called the "Red Menace" here!!

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