There's a new New York City, and it's in Los Angeles. Universal Studios has finally unveiled their new Manhattan backlot, after the original burned down in 2008. Director Steven Spielberg was on hand for the unveiling (he helped design the new set), and was also one of the first to arrive when the fire began two years ago. He called it an inferno and recalled "the flames were hundreds of feet into the air and everything was coming down quickly." more ›

Last week we mentioned that Brendan Keefe, late of WCBS, is now and anchor at the ABC affiliate in Cincinnati, WCPO. He started this week and he revealed to the Cincinnati Post some of his reasons for leaving New York for Ohio. He told the paper, "We wanted a place to raise a family that we could call home for a long time." more ›

Finally, a contest which honors the hairy men of our fair city! Universal Studios is “looking for a few hairy men” (sorry ladies) to celebrate the 40-Year-Old Virgin DVD release. Sponsored by Burke Williams and Aveda, The Hairiest Chest Waxing Contest invites beastly males to showcase their chests before being ripped apart on the 257 Columbus & 72nd Scott J Aveda Salon salon table. Starting at 6:00AM tomorrow, men will compete for their chance at beautification glory and winners will be determined by "hairiness, best waxing scream, and of course, personality.” Supposedly, there are “major prizes” awarded to New York's hairiest/Universal-marketing-scheme mascot (lotion, perhaps?) and if any of you intend to participate, please send us your pictures. more ›

Now that we're into November, awards season kicks off in earnest with big new releases such as more ›

- Turning a city into a big game more ›

Sure, the merger between NBC and Vivendi Universal means lots of things, like Robert Wright FINALLY becoming a media mogul ("Mogul moment" and implications of "media mogul envy" in the Times article about the deal made us laugh), NBC will finally have a movie studio to be affiliated with and Edgar Bronfman is out of luck, but what Gothamist is more concerned with the fact that Law & Order, an NBC staple, is produced by Universal. For starters, we're thinking a Law & Order ride at Universal Studios - park visitors stumble across a body and their guide/detective leads them around a mini-New York, chasing the perp and ends in trial room. more ›

For the Stupid Annals: Someone who worked at the ad agency that handles Universal Studios' advertising gave an early, pre-release copy of The Hulk to a friend. Who gave it to another friend. Who put it on the Internet. Kerry Gonzalez, the 25-year old NJ man who posted the film on the Internet, pled guilty, giving Universal this victory in piracy matters. This is what led to lots of fans complaining about the quality of special effects in the workprint (no matter critics were bitching about them in the final version anyway). Gonzalez faces up to 3 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, and is "tired and exhausted" according to his lawyer. The Financial Times says a "digital 'tag' inserted into the movie helped authorities to bring Mr Gonzalez to justice just three weeks after he committed the crime." more ›

"The first night, Design for Change , will be a roundtable discussion with community advocates, developers and city representatives. The second evening, Local Voices, Global Issues, will feature renowned architect Michael Sorkin and Lebbeus Woods, will look beyond New York and discuss the boundaries of design in a glocal environment." more ›

for your home. more ›