Bart Johnson Went To Great Lengths To Land "Teen Witch"

Did you know that Zac Efron's father is also Blake Lively's brother-in-law? Well, kinda. See Bart Johnson, who plays Zac's dad, Jack Bolton, in the "High School Musical" franchise is married in real life to Robin Lively, Blake's sister and the star of "Teen Witch!"

So while I was scheduled to talk with him about "HSM" -- and we did, don't fret -- I found out that a 7-year-old Princess gown-clad Blake actually acted as a pre-teen Cyrano for Bart.

Pop Wrap: Looking back, did you have any idea that the original would become so successful?
Bart Johnson: It was a shocker to everybody, including Disney! They didn't have anyone signed to three-picture deals so they had to pay up for the next two.

PW: When did you realize this was going to be bigger than originally planned?
Bart: It started halfway through filming on the first movie. The executives who had been watching dailies started giving us notes to reshoot all the scenes where we say the kids are seniors. "We want to make them juniors." They weren't ready for them to graduate yet.

PW: But they definitely are now -- what's it been like watching these kids go from nobodies to megastars?
Bart: Most of my scenes are with Zac and to see him and the rest of the kids get older is crazy -- I mean, they all had their mom's driving them around on the first one and now they're navigating some really serious careers with a lot of money and a lot of fame, buying big homes in the Hollywood Hills. These kids grew up fast.

PW: And they're all officially done - right?
Bart: They've made it very clear that all the seniors in this movie will not be coming back - their time as Wildcats is over. Even though they've written a "HSM 4" nobody knows if they're going to do it.

PW: I know they bring in some younger kids this time around to possibly carry on the franchise, right?
Bart: Yeah -- there are three new characters -- a new drama girl and two basketball players. I talked to our writer and he said, "it's good to be the Coach at East High -- see you next year!" [laughs]

PW: Your character is initially against his son being in the musical -- what's your take on all those big production numbers?
Bart: It's funny, you rehearse these routines and it's really fun to watch them come together. Then you shoot them and think this is the last time we're ever going to come together on this song. Well, at the wrap party someone put the soundtrack on - which is such a lame thing to do -- but everybody busted out the choreography and did the dances to the entire movie. It was pretty great.

Keep reading to read how Blake played matchmaker for her sister and find out what Bart thinks of that proposed "Teen Witch" remake!

PW: The big question is, how much money will this movie make? If every one of the 17 million people who watched the sequel's premiere bought a ticket, the box office would be astronomical.
Bart: It would be crazy -- also, it was really popular to have parties for "HSM2" so it was like ten to twenty girls watching on one TV -- so it could definitely be interesting.

PW: You're married to Robin Lively -- star of my favorite childhood movie "Teen Witch" -- and brother-in-law to Blake Lively. Between "HSM" and "Gossip Girl," you must be like the most popular dad on the block.
Bart: Yeah, I seem to be pretty cool with the young folks right now. If I don't impress them with "HSM," they flip out when I tell them Blake's my sister-in-law. She's a real sweetheart and not really a party chick -- she's another one, like Zac, who has stayed super grounded. I love her, she's like one of my best friends.

PW: That's good because so often in-law relationships can be monstrous!
Bart: It's so not like that. She was very instrumental in me meeting my wife.

PW: Really, how so?
Bart: I ended up teaching a kids acting class for their father, Ernie Lively, and I met Blake when she was 7-years-old. She was dressed as a Fairy Princess when I met her with the crown and the wand. A few years later I met Robin and was totally smitten. I told everybody, that's the girl I'm going to marry and Blake helped me -- she was like my inside man.

PW: So she'd give you the scoop on who Robin was dating?
Bart: Exactly. I'd take Blake to 31 Flavors, buy her ice cream and get the latest on Robin's boyfriends. We were plotting and scheming for years until I convinced Robin to date me. You gotta go to great lengths if you want to land "Teen Witch."

PW: So true, I mean, she is the most popular girl!
Bart: [laughs] Oh wow, she's going love that you just said that.

PW: You do know that your "HSM" co-star Ashley Tisdale is planning a remake of "Teen Witch," right?
Bart: Yeah. We've been friends with Ashley forever and she's a big fan -- I think that movie might have been one of the reasons she got into the business to begin with.

PW: Personally, I don't like that they're remaking "Teen Witch," it feels sacrilegious.
Bart: I'm really nervous about it. It's one thing to remake a movie but to remake a cult classic that is loved because it's so offbeat - how do you recreate that? I think she's going to have a tough sell.

Vanessa Hudgens & Bobby Bones Make Out Pictures

Rumor Alert: There are reported pictures of Vanessa Hudgens and co-star Bobby Bones making out. The make out pictures are supposed to have been taken during the filming of the movie Bandslam.

Bobby Bones is a well known radio show host in the Austin Texas area and has a show on KHFI-FM named after him called The Bobby Bones Show.

Vanessa Hudgens is the well known start of High School musical.

If this story turns out to be true, PopCrunch will have the photos here. So stay tuned.

So where are the Bobby Bones Vanessa Hudgens make out pictures, you might ask. I know I wondered the same thing. I sure can't find many online, and that's the only place I'd bother looking. There's this one, though.

Bobby Bones has been getting quite a bit of press lately, and his influence appears to be expanding. Bobby Bones internet chatter seems to be rising rapidly. Hey, it's easy to see why. The guy apparently loves exploiting his interns, and now he's appearing in a new movie with Vanessa Hudgens, called Bandslam.

Bandslam is set for release in 2009 and is billed as a "musical-comedy-romance." Bobby Bones will star as Gordy Kaye.

Just how well Vanessa Hudgens and Bobby Bones have gotten to know each other must, for now, remain a matter of pure speculation. But when the makeout pics surface, you can expect an Internet circus to quickly ensue.

david blaine dive of death

Magician David Blaine performed a dramatic ‘Dive of Death’ in Central Park earlier tonight, and lived. Read about it below and see photos and a video.

David Blaine is as much a showman as a magician, but I believe he bills himself as a magician. He’s kind of Harry Houdini Lite. Very lite. He’s stunts usually consist of public spectacles in public places.

In 2003, he stayed in a transparent box suspended over the Thames River in London for 44 days. In 2002, he stood on top of a 27 metre pillar behind the New York Public Library for 35 hours. In 2006, he lived in an acrylic sphere underwater for a week in front of the Lincoln Center. In 2000, he sat inside a block of ice in Times Square for 61 hours.

Every time I hear about one of his stunts, I always wonder where he goes to the bathroom. I’m sure they have something worked out for that.

His exhibitions all seem to be endurance tests as much as anything else and this latest one was no exception. Today he ended his latest stunt. He hung upside down in Central Park for 60 hours.

Yeah, it was not real interesting to watch. However, he always ends them with a grand finale and this was no different. He ended his upside down hanging with a two-hour television special. You might wonder how he could draw standing upright out for two hours. Well, the special was interspersed with pre-recorded footage of David Blaine doing other things, like talking to people.

Then, finally, right at the end was the spectacular coup de gras. He plunged 13.4 metres in what has been billed as the ‘Dive of Death’. Following the dive, dangling from the cable he was attached to, he started ascending and disappeared into the night sky above Central Park’s Wollman Rink. Ta-Da!

And he lived to tell about it …. and do another stunt on another day.

Kelly Ripa, left, and magician David Blaine separate as Ripa descends following her interview with Blaine for the "Live with Regis and Kelly" television show done while both hung upside down over Central Park's Wollman Rink during Blaine's latest endurance challenge "David Blaine: Dive of Death" Monday morning Sept. 22, 2008 in New York. David Blaine plans to hang upside without a net for 60 hours concluding his challenge with a plunge.

Kim Kardashian - Dancing With the Stars !!!

Who would have thought we would be seeing Kim Kardashian Dancing With the Stars videos in our lifetime? See what she has to offer below along with partner Mark Ballas on the Dancing With The Star show.

Kim Kardashian
Dancing With The Stars

Kim Kardashian looks good. Her hair is short and elegant while her smile beamed radiantly. She is fashionably dressed in tasteful sexy clothing. She has everything going for her on the dance floor except one minor thing.

The problem is Kim Kardashian’s dancing. It was bad with a capital B in Week 1. She was stiff as a board which is normally the position of her various partners. But not on Dancing With The Stars. Sorry Kim, but you are hot in all ways but one. Even professional dancer Mark Ballas cannot help you much.

Maybe one of the problems is expectations. We expect that a famous socialite might have spent some of her partying days with Paris Hilton on a dance floor. Isn’t that what socialites do at clubs? Shows you what I know.

Kim Kardashian Debuts on Dancing with the Stars

Kim Kardashian and Mark Ballas foxtrotted their ways into home last night on the season premiere of Dancing with the Stars.
In the following clip of their performance, we're introduced to the couple with: "I'm Kim Kardashian and I'm best known for being a reality TV star."
Well, we guess having sex on tape is realistic. And Kim sure did star in that video!

Kardashian also says: "When I met Mark, I was so excited. He's a champion and I knew I was in the best hands possible."
Ouch. Reggie Bush just got dissed!Overall, Kardashian looked the part of someone who could compete this season. But she was as stiff on the floor as most of her partners are in bed. Girlfriend has got to loosen up!And wear a far more revealing outfit.

Hurricane Ike Damage

Hurricane Ike

Search and rescue teams are standing by, and plan to move into the affected parts of southeast Texas later today to search for storm victims, 1200 WOAI news reports.

At one point, there had been fears that as many as 40,000 people may have to be rescued...but now that figures appears to be far too high, as the storm has passed metro Houston and there are no widespread reports of casualties, officials say.

"We expected a major storm, and our expectations, unfortunately, came true," said Mike Miner, a spokesman for Governor Perry.

Ike damage

"It is too early to send search and rescue teams into the devastated areas. They are on stand by. They’re ready to go. The weather needs to clear up a little bite before they can actually go in, take a look around, and see what the actual devastation was."

The biggest problems facing most residents of metro Houston this morning is a lack of electric power, according to Centerpoint Energy Corp, the region's electric utility. 'It has been a really bad night and early Saturday morning on our electrical system," a spokesman said.

"We've got trees knocking power lines down all across the system. At this point, nearly two million customers who receive electricity via power lines are out of service."

He says the effort to restore that electricity will be slow. "We can't wait for Ike to keep moving, we can't wait for Ike to pick up steam and move on. We need to get our assessors and our helicopters to do aerial surveys, we need to get out foot patrol people down."

"Power is almost 100 percent out," Houston Mayor Bill White said this morning. "We have gotten 4700 emergency calls into the 9-1-1 center. The good news is, as the winds are diminishing, we plan to have some of our emergency crews bacdk on the streets by 10 this mroning."

ike damage

White said it is far too early to determine the extend of damage in the city.

"We're going to have to take this day by day, look at the good and not the bad, and look into teh future. There will be some tragedies that occur, there are people struggling right now. If we Houstonians keep our heads up and plow through this in a competent way, it will be a credit to the city of Houston."

White also urged peopel to stay off the street, because shattered glass is still falling out of windows of downtown high rise buildings.

"Obviously, we have some high rise buildings throughout the city. We do know there has been damage to roofs and structures throughout the city, but we don't want anybody to think downtown Houston is wiped out."

White promised a 'very strong emergency surge' by 9 to 10 this morning.

Harris County Judge Ed Emmett is rquesting that all residents conserve water.

"We do want to focus on the water supply, to make sure that it remains safe," Emmett said.

Ike damage

"On the west side of the hurricane, the surge seems to have peaked at 11 to 12 feet and is expected to recede," he said. "But that surge is moving to the east and is expected to continue."

He says the inlets, bays, and bayous east of Houston continue to be subject to flodo warnings.

"The Medical Center right now is not experiencing blackouts because their power lines are underground," Emmett said.

"The Houston Fire Department suspended response activities about 4:45 AM, and they will resume as soon as it is possible. The Red Cross and the Salvation Army reports preparations are underway for shelter operations which will be necessary after the storm."

Emmett said a ship is currently being held by tugs in the Houston Ship channel, so residents are being asked to stay off the Loop 610 bridge 'just in case.'

"Nobody really ought to be out driving right now anyway."

Some parts of the Houston area say they did not get the devastation they had feared. "It looks like we dodged a bullet," a city councilman in Baytown, at the north end of Galveston Bay said. "Of course, that could change."

There are reports of high water across the metro Houston area, as well as windows blown out of numerous buildings. There was also a devastating fire at Brennan's of Houston, a landmark restaurant.

Several people had taken shelter at the restaurant and three people, including two children, were hurt.

September 11 - Rell Asks Residents to Observe 9/11 Moment of Silence

Rell Asks Residents to Observe 9/11 Moment of Silence

Gov. M. Jodi Rell today called on state residents to observe a moment of silence on Thursday to mark the seventh anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States.

In observance of the anniversary, Rell has proclaimed Sept. 11, 2008, a Day of Remembrance in Connecticut, her office announced.

The governor, who participated in a remembrance ceremony Monday at the state’s 9/11 Living Memorial at Sherwood Island State Park in Westport, asked state residents to observe a moment of silence at 8:46 a.m. on Thursday.

That was the time the first hijacked airliner crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City seven years ago. The governor also directed that U.S. and State of Connecticut flags be flown at half-staff from sunrise through sundown Thursday.

“The Day of Remembrance honors the loved ones lost on the day of the terrorist attacks by encouraging all of our citizens to keep the victims’ memories alive through these observances,” Rell said.

“The seven years that have passed since we lost those innocent lives may not have softened the pain of the victims’ families, but we hope the small acts of kindness that reflect our community of spirit will continue to convey our support and provide a measure of comfort.”

A Moment of Silence for 9/11

9/11 Moment of Silence

Whether you're Republican, Democrat, conservative, liberal, rich, poor, Zune user or iPod user, we are all part of one country first. This morning let us all take a moment of silence to honor the men and women who lost their lives on September 11, 2001.

From the workers in the building who were putting in another 8hour day to support themselves and their families to the brave firefighters and police officers who lost their lives fulfilling their duties to protect and rescue.

Sarah Palin Interview - Squad of G.O.P. Aides Prepares Palin for Interviews

Two weeks ago, People magazine was granted an exclusive interview with Senator John McCain’s new running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, who spoke about motherhood and career, life in Alaska and the historic nature of her candidacy.

She has not given an interview since, eschewing the traditional television news circuit traveled by a vice-presidential nominee.

Sarah Palin will break that news media blackout on Thursday, when she will begin two days of interviews by the ABC News anchor Charles Gibson.

The sessions could be the first test of Sarah Palin’s ability to parry substantive questions on foreign and domestic policy, and as she flew back to Alaska on Wednesday, she brought with her a squad of john McCain’s top policy advisers to help her prepare. In a broader sense, the interviews will also provide fresh material for what is now an intense war between the campaigns to define Sarah Palin in the public mind, a battle that both campaigns consider potentially critical to the election outcome.

“The fight is over how she is going to be defined in the eyes of the American public,” said Terry Nelson, John McCain’s former campaign manager. “She’s been introduced, but all the information about her has not been introduced, and once that information comes to light people are going to draw conclusions about her, and the campaigns are fighting to shape the conclusions.”

With new reports coming out daily about Sarah Palin’s record in Alaska, and a more aggressive offensive from Senator Barack Obama’s campaign, John McCain’s team has issued a partywide, all-hands-on-deck.

It has hired several veterans from President Bush’s campaigns, making them part of a team dedicated to defending Sarah Palin from unsubstantiated Internet rumors, Democratic attacks and potentially damaging news reports about her record produced by the investigative journalists now in Alaska.

“She’s a dynamic agent for change, the Democrats recognize this, and there is this race now to paint a picture of her which is not true,” said Brian Jones, who resigned as John McCain’s communications director in 2007 but returned this week to help in the effort to bolster Sarah Palin.

John McCain’s campaign released an advertisement on Wednesday accusing Barack Obama of trying “to destroy” Sarah Palin, and featuring images of scavenging wolves and an assertion that Democratic operatives are researching Sarah Palin in Alaska. (The advertisement cited a report by FactCheck.org that was critical of “completely false” attacks on Sarah Palin, but failed to note that the report was referring to Internet rumors not linked to Barack Obama’s campaign.)

The McCain campaign is regularly battling reports from news organizations that have the potential to undermine the image that it has presented of Sarah Palin as a reformer.

On Wednesday, a new report on Politico.com detailed Sarah Palin’s requests for federal appropriations as governor, including money for studies on the mating habits of crabs and the DNA of harbor seals, the very sorts of pet spending projects John McCain has lampooned.

John McCain’s campaign has dispatched another team to Alaska to respond more rapidly to such reports. It is headed by Taylor Griffin, who had worked for President Bush’s 2004 campaign. Another former Bush campaign aide, Tracey Schmitt, is now Sarah Palin’s traveling press secretary.

Tucker Eskew, a veteran of Mr. Bush’s primary season campaign against John McCain, has been advising Sarah Palin this week, as she has hopped between S.U.V.s and planes, all the while reading briefing materials or receiving tutorials from policy advisers who have dipped on and off the campaign trail to visit with her.

On Wednesday night, three of them were on the plane to Alaska with Sarah Palin: Douglas Holtz-Eakin, John McCain’s economic adviser; Steve Biegun, a former staff member of Mr. Bush’s National Security Council who has taken leave from his Ford Motors job to advise Sarah Palin; and Randy Scheunemann, John McCain’s senior foreign policy adviser.

Also accompanying Sarah Palin to Alaska as she prepared for her interview was Nicolle Wallace, a communications director for Mr. Bush’s 2004 campaign and, later, his White House. Ms. Wallace’s husband, Mark Wallace, Mr. Bush’s deputy campaign manager in 2004, is helping prepare Sarah Palin for the debates.

For now, the preparation for the debate and the sessions with Mr. Gibson are one and the same. Aides have developed a set of presumed questions and answers that they are walking Ms. Palin through.

Aides traveling with Sarah Palin have reported back to associates that she is a fast study — asking few questions of her policy briefers but quickly repeating back their main points — who already has considerable ease and experience before cameras.

A former aide in Alaska who had helped prepare Ms. Palin for her campaign debates there said she had a talent for distilling information into digestible sound bites. The aide said she generally prefers light preparatory materials to heavy briefing books, and prefers walking through potential questions and answers with aides to holding mock sessions.