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In this feature, we will periodically check in to see what is up with Topher Grace.
A few months ago, in a previous installment of Hey, What’s Up With Topher Grace?, I mentioned that I had been reading and greatly enjoying Pete Dexter’s novel, Deadwood. Well, I am happy to inform you that I am now reading another Pete Dexter novel, Train, and it is just as great! It is set in 1940s Los Angeles and it is about golf and racism and secrets. Pete Dexter, you guys. Very good at writing books. Speaking of books that are great written by people who are good at writing them: I recently read James Ellroy’s The Cold Six Thousand, and it was great and also very special. The whole thing is written in this really staccato, breakneck speed that takes a little getting used to, but once you are used to it, oh boy, what a book! Personally, I consider James Ellroy’s writing to be, at least thematically, in the same school as Elmore Leonard (Nicaragua subplots!), and Elmore Leonard’s writing, of course, provides the backbone of the new FX show, Justified, and that is a great show. Are you guys watching Justified? Because you should be watching Justified. So there you go. Three great things in a row to write down in your Great Stuff Notebook. Four if you count “the writing of Elmore Leonard” as separate from Justified, which you should, because it is.
Oh, that reminds me, while we are on the subject of taking notes and keeping a record of things that you are interested in: what is up with Topher Grace?
The tips have been pouring in all week from readers, which is HOW IT SHOULD BE. Staying on the forefront of Topher Grace information is a team effort. We need eyes everywhere, because one thing people rarely keep in mind is the fact that Topher Grace is doing something EVERY SECOND OF EVERY DAY. Most of that stuff, of course, is none of our business. Topher Grace is a human being, and he has an inalienable right to privacy just like the rest of us. But he is a person of interest, as well as an actor and a Hollywood celebrity. My point is: thanks for the tips! And let’s get to them!
Readers Jeff, Zach, and Anthony linked us to a new behind the scenes feature on chud.com from the new Predators movie (IN THEATERS JULY 9, 2010) focusing on Topher’s character “Edwin.” As superfans already know, and will be so annoyed that I even have to tell you, he plays “a disgraced physician and a serial killer formerly on the FBI’s most wanted list:
Very cool! Actually, I haven’t watched this yet because it doesn’t seem to be working? Well done, HOLLYWOOD CALIFORNIA. The video is supposedly up on the official website but doesn’t seem to be working there either. You know what is working? Jumping off a bridge. Go do it, Entertainment Business.
While we wait for all of Entertainment to go jump off of a bridge due to a small technical malfunction with one character-based promotional video for Predators, let’s look at how Topless Robot weighed in on Topher’s upcoming role:
The Mystery of What the Hell Topher Grace Is Doing in Predators Deepens
I don’t mean what his character’s doing on the Predators planet, because we knew even before this video that he was also a criminal like the others. No, the question I’m referring to is whether Topher Grace will play some kind of goofy comedy relief character, and thus suck. Now, I actually like Grace, and think he’s probably better than his work indicates, but casting him as the nebbish scientist-nerd among all the badass hardened criminals seems like it’ll quickly become him running around ti “Yakkety Sax” while Adrien Brody and the rest save his ass over and over again.
If you “actually like” Topher Grace, then why don’t you “ACT LIKE IT.” Also, I’m pretty sure ANYONE cast as the nebbish scientist-nerd among all the badass hardened criminals would quickly become him (or her, no offense lady nerds) running around ti “Yakkety Sax” (buy the soundtrack on iTunes) while Adrien Brody and the rest save his (or her!) ass over and over again. That is just the role, buddy! I do love the idea that ADRIEN BRODY is going to be doing all the saving. Adrien Brody: very baddass. Very hardened.
Now we move from the Big Screen to the Little Screen, as reader Victoria a that Topher got a little shout out in the latest episode of Psych.
Hahaha, I don’t even know what Psych IS, but congratulations to Topher Grace on his important shout out! This is just another feather in your reminder cap (?) that you are a Pop Culture Touchstone.
Moving from the Big Screen to the Little Screen to the Smallest Screen of Them All, Topher will be playing a part in a new web series called Vamped Out on Babelgum. Neat! From The Critic’s Word.
“Vamped Out” is a new horror comedy web series presented by Babelgum Comedy and marks Kevin Pollak’s directorial debut. The series stars Kevin Pollak, Jason Antoon, Illeana Douglas, Cheri Oteri, Topher Grace, and Samm Levine among others. Robert Legoto, who won the Oscar for visual effects of Titanic, is the cinematographer on the series. Vamped Out begins on April 12 on Babelgum.com and is set for 6 webisodes.
In the show, Pollak plays Elliot Finke, a documentary filmmaker who believes he is capturing footage of a real world vampire. The documentary was never finished and Finke went missing. Vamped Out then picks up years later following a struggling vampire actor (Antoon) trying to make it big in Hollywood and make something of his immortality. He claims to really be a 172 years old and was the one who fed Bram Stoker all of the nonsense that people believe about vampires. This is precisely why he and other vampires aren’t afraid of to be in the spotlight and among humans rather than hiding in the shadows away from civilization. Everything people think can harm vampires: sun, garlic, staking, actually have no effect on them at all, making it pretty hard to believe in vampires and even harder to harm one..
Oh cool, vampire stuff. It’s weird that you don’t hear very much about vampires anymore. They were really popular in the late 1800s and then POOF. We’ll keep an eye out for you, T-Bone Gracenet!
And for those of you who are interested in HIGH FASHION COUTORE, reader Emma linked us to these “I <3 Topher Grace” hoodies on Ebay:
Ooh la la! Now you will look like Paris France!
And, of course, That ’70s Show remains popular in syndication.
There you go. That is what is up with Topher Grace. Send your Topher tips totophergracenews@videogum.com. See you next time!
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Topher Grace is boring.
And, of course, hatin’ on Topher Grace remains popular in syndication
Somehow, as I was reading this, I thought you might be the first comment, since Tophersuxxbutts is on spring hiatus apparently.
Not for long:
TOPHERSUXBUTTZ TO THE RESCUE!!!
You are just the absolute best and I love you.
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see
Is this all it takes?
You can have lowest comment, I dont care about those things
Just to let you know, I upvoted you.
♥ ♥ I upvoted you too. ♥ ♥
fucking asshole.
Why won’t you let yourself be great Steve Winwood?
don’t forget who started it.
I love being a part of this community.
EXACTLY. As far as I’m concerned woozefa is the President of Topher Grace hatred, and tophersuxbuttz is like the Secretary of State, while Steve Winwood is more like the city planner of Hobbes, New Mexico (because I know how government works.)
Part of Topher’s push to make him self marketable to an older crowd was to collaborate with VMen Magazine to help make him ‘More Fuckable’
*clap clap*
Hey, What’s Up With Steve Winwood?
This week Steve Winwood was spotted rummaging around in the dumpster behind Ole Billy’s Country Store with several other nightmare garbage monsters from the Swamp Gang.
Thanks for ruining the end of In Good Company for me, Psych.
So THIS is what’s up with Topher Grace! The other day I was asking my gurl, “hey gurl, what’s up with Topher Grace?” and she was all “hey! I’m just a homeless guy, get away from me!” and that didn’t end well.
MLI”H,WUWTG?”
Good use of punctuation!
The other day, I had a big test that I was waiting to hear what I got on it. My teacher said he would email me my grade. As I begin to log in to my email, I see an article about the new Predators movie. I immediately clicked on it and absorbed whatever Topher info I could. So apparently, my priorities are:
1. Topher Grace
2. My future and basically everything else
Things are getting weird, you guys.
Can we have a videogum book club? I loved the tv series Deadwood and was intrigued earlier when Gabe said the book / print edition version was good. I put it on my amazon wish list. Now he is mentioning this Peter Dexter novel that sounds pretty cool and I’ve always been curious about Elmore Leonard’s The Cold Six Thousand. I think a videogum book club would be rad to the hella. What do you guys think?
Hey wait did Gabe mean James Ellroy’s Cold Six Thousand? I get those writers mixed up too sometimes
oh you fixed the typo. fix my comment while you’re at it, internet magician
They would have to be videobooks, methinks.
are there other blogs on the internet that have book clubs?
I’m with ya Steve I think a book club would be rad
You should start one, I’d join. You’ve got the POWER.
printgum with senior editor steve winwood
You’re a man of many faces, Steve Winwood.
That said, rad to the hella indeed. I concur.
“Rad to the hella.” — Gutenberg
“I concur.” — Gutenburg’s gurl
I’ve been wanting to read Blood Meridian ever since Nicholas Sparks became one of our “favorite characters” around here.
where have you been steve winwood? bookgum is not only the most heavily trafficked of the gum family of sites, it’s also has the most cutting edge design. http://www.bookgum.com/
That’s not your request meme, and you aren’t doing it correctly at all, Failwood, so stop it.
I think it’s a good idea as long as you don’t spoil the endings.
: (
there was talk of a videogum book club in one of the comment threads and in the chatroom. you should join us in there some time to reignite the fire. signed, your secret crush
Seems like that fire don’t need much in the way of stoking, if yaknowhatImean…
I am trying to mack on Steve Winwood and you are RUINING IT.
He’s not the real Steve Winwood, you know.
Gabe, please tell me you read James Ellroy’s American Tabloid prior to reading James Ellroy’s The Cold Six Thousand (Based on the novel by Sapphire). The Cold Six Thousand:Steve Windwood::American Tabloid:An American Patriot.
Did I do that right? Fuck it. American Tabloid is a fucking great book.
I’m not sure that we want to turn Videogum into a lifestyle website. I think people should be able to make their own choices about what media they choose to consume. We don’t want to turn Videogum into a GOOP or Gabe into an Oprah. (I almost wrote ‘Gabe into a Goprah’, but I figured that was stupid)
Yes, I strongly support a bookclub as well.
Bookgum- GO!
I’m sorry Topher, I love you you know that I said so in my letters, but the return of Cheri Oteri excited me the most out of anything in this entry
I want to ask Topless Robot what makes him/her so sure that it won’t be Topher Grace saving Adrien Brody’s ass throughout the entire movie! When you assume, Topless Robot, you make a Yakkety Sax out of u and me.
Yakkety Sax. Don’t come back
Wait, so today there has been Juggalo news, a caption contest, a LOST recap, the glorious return of Soft Gabe and his Glee recaps AND now we have an update on what’s going on in Graceland? My calender must be way off or Christmas came early this year!
Those hoodies really aren’t seasonally appropriate. I could go for an I heart Topher Grace babydoll, though.
Topher’s so cool, you always need a hoodie to stay warm.
See, I was thinking “Topher’s so hot, I’m gonna have to remove some layers.” But I feel ya.
Since you guys are a bunch of lazy Tophdawg superfans I went ahead and found the featurette on youtube. You can tell he’s a doctor because he’s the only one wearing glasses!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRg7y-MHXjY
a “medical” doctor, don’t forget!
It’s weird that a video from “chud.com” wasn’t working. That sounds like a completely legitimate, fully-functioning site.
As an aside, I will mention that I always DVR/record/copy anything described as a horror comedy web series.Those are always the best.
“I read a lot.”
-Gabe
Hahaha this was my EXACT comment but thank god I had the foresight to do a page search on “I read”
He probably has a library card on his wallet.
what a dick!
True story time:
In English today, we were discussing movies. Specifically, the movie Traffic, which Topher graced us with his presence in. When Topher’s name was brought up, I said, “Hey, What’s Up With Topher Grace?” and everyone looked at me strangely and failed to appreciate the remark. So it turns out that my life is not Videogum.
Reallifegum, guys.
Always
Be
Chatting about Topher Grace
Every now and then, someone will mention a movie with the Toph in it, and I’ll be all, “Topher Grace is in that movie! Yeah, I know What’s Up With Topher Grace, is what I’m saying.” And then people look at me funny and I change the subject.
Videogum Everywhere, monsters! Gold stars for you!
Ocean’s Twelve (one of my favorite movies)+ Topher Grace = THE BEST
Topher can make any movie great, if he would’ve been cast as Amelia Earheart instead of Hillary Swank Amelia wouldn’t be nominated for TWMOT constantly (werttrew I’m with you Mira Nair must go down)
“Very hardened.” – TWSS
Also this is really late in the game, but I’ve had this on my computer since forever. Joseph Gordon Levitt on kissing T.Grace (*fingers crossed* this works):
Excuse me sir, but would you please to kindly inform me the title of the film to which this quote refers? I must uh… view it for completely educational purposes.
Who said this was a movie?
I believe it is from That 70′s Show. Season 1, in the episode “Eric’s Buddy”.
I’m in the middle of Deadwood right now, on Gabe’s recommendation, and not finding it as juicy as I hoped it’d be. Maybe it’s because I just finished a delicious one-two punch of Kingsley Amis and Cormack Daddy McCarthy (Suttree is amazing), but I keep thinking, Pete Dexter, dude, where the prose at? I need it sparklinger! And getting irritated at the characters’ more candy-ass proclivities (Wild Bill “twirling his hair around his finger,” Charlie gazing into his “handsome face”). And enjoying a surge of malicious glee every time I find a nitpicky hole in the research (eg, would Charlie really compare something to a Brazil nut when they’d just begun to be imported to the United States? And would he dry himself with a towel, in a public bathhouse in a remote frontier outpost, when terrycloth had been invented only recently, in Europe? No! He would’ve used a flannel.)
Ah, good thing there’s no Videogum book club or I wouldn’t be able to troll away with off-topic comments that nobody gives a fuck about. It was either that or bore my boyfriend by ranting about it to him, and…well, actually, I did both. Anywayztophersuxbuttz! Gnight, monsters.
HOLY CRAP! I can’t believe I’m actually someone who “knows” what’s up with my main main T-Boz ! (I gave Gabe the I <3 Topher ebay tip)
This totally ROCKS!
Oh and chameleon_street, you can purchase the hoodie in cool t-shirt form… just in case you were keen to display your Topher-loving ways in the summertime!
When he was ‘punk’d’ by Ashton Kutcher, Grace came across as easily the coolest, most down to earth, likable and genuinely caring person I’d ever seen on that show. That is all.
When is Topher Grace going to do porn?