Last night, Ben Stiller hosted Saturday Night Live and dusted off his Derek Zoolander impression for a Weekend Update bit with nightlife expert Stefon. While Stiller's Tower Heist co-star Eddie Murphy did not appear on the show, Hugh Jackman did appear in a sketch (which does not seem to be online—it involves Andy Samberg as Jackman and Jackman as...Daniel Radcliffe). Check out more highlights, including Seth Meyers' mention of Occupy Wall Street's Brooklyn Bridge arrests, a Bruce Springsteen DVD commercial, a distressing Digital Short about V-neck shirts, and Kenny G performing with Foster The People, by clicking through the pictures. more ›

Since Alec Baldwin can't host Saturday Night Live forever, and Radiohead can't always be the musical guest, it's time to move on. This week it was announced that Ben Stiller will be hosting on October 8th, with musical guest Foster The People. And following his stint, on October 15th, Anna Faris and Drake will be taking over the studio. Stiller was a cast member in the 80s, and hosted last in 1998; Faris hosted one other time, in 2008. more ›

If you were casting a Hollywood about a Bernard Madoff-type Ponzi schemer under house arrest in his Manhattan penthouse, would you immediately think Alan Alda? Or would you think to cast Ben Stiller as the manager of the apartment building who rallies his employees to try to get their money from Alda's character? Well, the movie, Tower Heist, directed by Rush Hour auteur Brett Ratner, is in pre-production will be filming in New York. more ›

Here at Gothamist, we love all things Seinfeld. And we especially love all things Frank Costanza, whether it's cute old-man odysseys to Queens or real-life stories of Festivus. So we were happy to learn that his son, Ben Stiller, has started a new online video series starring his father and mother, Anne Meara, where the two plan on "talking about stuff." more ›

A look at some of this week's noteworthy television: more ›

more ›

characters. Franken had developed a very successful career making people laugh, but through the movie we see how his convictions wouldn't allow him to stay quiet about the direction he saw the country heading. He almost makes punditry look like a noble calling. Also good for a liberal chuckle is the footage of Franken going head to head with a very icy Ann Coulter. The fact that she doesn't lean over and pop him one in the nose shows remarkable restraint on her part. Rent this documentary and you'll walk away hoping that Franken's bid for a Senate seat turns out much more successfully than his career in talk radio. more ›

JC: ALL RIGHT! I just took extra Vitamin C - I'm waiting for some food delivery. more ›

While Gothamist first had Ethiopian food several years ago at Meskerem, our most vivid memory of Ethiopian has to be Ben Stiller eating it in Along Came Polly (yeah, we rent every new release on Netflix no matter how bad). Over the weekend, we went to Ghenet with a bunch of other people, which is perfect if you're eating Ethiopian. We ordered plenty of food, which came with a couple of plates of injera. more ›

Hollywood has repeatedly opted to film blatantly New York movies in other locales and specifically Canada (such as Rent, Rudy: The Rudy Giuliani Story, Jackie Chan's Rumble in the Bronx etc), and now they've even relocated our city's great Museum of Natural History. According to the Vancouver Sun, Ben Stiller is set to star in Stephen Sommers' A Night at the Museum, a family comedy, loosely based on the children's book by Milan Trenc, about an incompetent security guard at the Museum of Natural History who accidentally triggers an ancient curse, causing the display exhibits to come back to life. Supposedly, 20th Century Fox was prepared to shoot the $140-million film in Montreal, but Stiller demanded the filming be shifted over to Vancouver. Brian Baker, from Quebec film technicians union, called the recent move a total disaster, insisting the significant amount of work and money lost to the city is "heartbreaking." Gothamist can't help but think the only real heartbreaking issue is that Stiller didn't request the film be shot where it belongs -- New York City. Photo credit: Jake Dobkin more ›

Oh, he’s amazing. [laughs] But my thought was that what works so well about the first two is the mundane-ness of it all. So my notion was that Hell exists simultaneously, and in the same place as our consensus reality. But it’s like a film shutter — it’s the darkness between the 24 frames. When we’re blinking on, they’re off — so we blink alternately with this other reality, which is Hell. more ›

Here's a behind the scenes gallery of the new dinosaur exhibit. The permanent Fossil Halls at the AMNH are one of Gothamist's favorite places in the city, and not just because we took a class on dinosaurs (we had to pass the science requirement somehow). And not only was Ross Geller a paleontologist (allegedly) at the AMNH, so was Ben Stiller's character, Mel Coplin, in Flirting with Disaster. more ›

This decision is a result of much thoughtful consideration. We happily remain committed and caring friends with great love and admiration for one another. We ask in advance for your kindness and sensitivity in the coming months.It's a moment for everyone to have Schadenfreude, even though some New Yorkers were shocked - "Oh, my God! I really thought it was going to last," said one to the Daily News. Anyway, translation of the press statement: Gothamist salutes the couple for confusing the tabloids, even bringing Star to put them on their cover, saying they were back together and ready to make a baby. Anyway, cynically speaking, their film careers have been a mixed bag since their marriage. Sure, Aniston had The Good Girl, but it was more to establish her acting chops; she's been relegated to playing Jim Carrey's and Ben Stiller's significant others, which is never a good things...and a faux-sequel of The Graduate with Rob Reiner directing? Egads. Pitt has remained looking hot, which is all Gothamist asks. more ›

Gothamist is excited about the Tribeca Theater Festival, which is running now through the 31st. Yes, this is being put on by the same folks who bring us the Tribeca Film Festival. Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff are presenting, in association with the acclaimed Tribeca-based Off-Broadway theater company, Drama Dept. more ›

more ›

more ›

And fresh from the spin machine, director Jay Roach tells USA Today, "Dustin and Barbra should have been a comedy team. They have great comic timing. They could have done vaudeville or I Love Lucy or even Tracy-Hepburn stuff." Right. Gothamist is sure practically the same was said of Turner & Hooch and Sylvester Stallone & Estelle Getty in Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot. Defamer noted how Hoffman and Streisand's road to Fockerness had some bumps. If you want some great Barbra Streisand comedy, see What's Up Doc, which is preposterously good. more ›

You know, that was a choice I made, going for that soulless sound. I have to admit, when we were filming that scene and I had to sing for Carmen [Electra] and Amy [Smart], it was awkward--just seeing their expressions. You know when somebody shows you their baby, and you think the baby is not very cute but you try to smile anyway? That's how they looked. I could just see their interest in me flicker out--if it was ever there to begin with.