Monthly Archives: June 2013

“You Need To ‘Focus’ When You’re Walking On A Six-Inch Beam High In The Air, Especially On A Windy Day In New Jersey:” A TDQ Q&A With Actor Bruno Amato

Posted on by
Reply

Bruno Amato

See Bruno Amato in The Internship.

This week’s TDQ Q&A features actor Bruno Amato. Bruno spoke with us about his role in “The Internship,” his talent for impersonating Rocky Balboa and the differences in shooting TV shows and films. Here is this week’s TDQ Q&A with actor Bruno Amato:

The Daily Quarterly: Who was your favorite actor growing up?

Bruno Amato: I loved John Wayne, he was such a no nonsense tough guy.

TDQ: What was your favorite movie growing up?

BA: Definitely the first “Rocky” movie…I became an expert at saying “Yo Adrian”!!!

TDQ: What made you want to be in show business?

BA: I always felt I had a knack at making people laugh…come on, I was class clown in 8th grade…helloo??? :)

TDQ: What’s the best advice you’ve ever gotten?

BA: I didn’t hear it directly from him, but I think it was Jimmy Durante who said, “but be kind to people on the way up, because you will meet them on the way down.”

TDQ: What’s the worst advice you’ve ever gotten?

BA: Someone told me before the economy crashed, that you can’t go wrong investing in real estate….so I bought a house….you can figure out the rest.

TDQ: Who are your influences?

BA: Fellow actor friends, who I’ve watched over the years, get bigger roles, and move up the ladder in Hollywood, by working hard at their craft.

TDQ: Tell us about your role in “The Internship”

Bruno Amato

Bruno Amato playing the character Sal in The Internship. This must be the scene where Sal learns his search engine optimization is sub par.

BA: I play “Sal.” He owns a pizza establishment near San Francisco. He gets paid a visit by Vince Vaughn, Owen Wilson and their gang of younger Google interns, who need to try to sell Sal on using Google to expand his business. It’s a tough sell, because Sal is pretty set in his ways of doing things the old fashioned way, he’s afraid of change.
Continue reading →

“Sit, Ubu, Sit. Good Dog.” Gary David Goldberg Has Died

Posted on by
Reply

Gary David Goldberg

Gary David Goldberg, right, with RECOiL writer/director Brian DiMaio at an event to honor one of the two. The answer might surprise you. Yes! It was Goldberg over DiMaio. A real surprise.

Montecito, CA—Writer and producer Gary David Goldberg died Saturday from brain cancer. He was 68.

Goldberg is most famous for creating the hit NBC series, “Family Ties” in 1982, which launched the career of Michael J. Fox. He created another show with Fox, “Spin City” which ran from 1996 to 2002, though Fox left the show in 2000 due to Parkinson’s Disease.

He also produced feature films as well, including “Dad,” “Bye Bye Love,” “RECOiL” and “Must Love Dogs.”

Goldberg won two Emmy Awards, one for his writing work on “Lou Grant” in 1979 and another for his work on “Family Ties” in 1987. He also won Writers Guild of America Awards in 1979, 1988, 1998 and 2010.

He is survived by his wife, Diana Meehan, two daughters, Shana Silveri and Cailin Goldberg-Meehan and three grandchildren. Continue reading →

New “Sesame Street” Initiative Aims To Remind Children That Snitches End Up In Ditches

Posted on by
Reply

Snitches End Up in Ditches

Remember kids, “Snitches End Up in Ditches.”

New York—Elmo, Bert and Ernie and the gang at Sesame Street have taken on various lessons throughout the course of the show, such as bullying, divorce and obesity, from which it hopes its young viewership will learn valuable lessons. But a new program released by the Public Broadcasting System’s show, sponsored by a coalition of Baltimore, Miami and New York City gangs, takes on a more heavy topic, yo: when a family member “goes away” because they are a snitch.

Sesame Street recently released a tool kit with resources for caregivers and providers to help children age 3 through 8 better understand what snitching is and how to cope with it.

“When a loved one makes the horrible decision to snitch on a drug dealer or gang banger, it can be very overwhelming for both children and caregivers,” Sesame Street’s website said. “It can bring about big changes and transitions. In simple everyday ways, you can comfort your child and guide them through these tough moments. With your love and support they can get through almost anything that comes their way, and so that they don’t make the same mistake to snitch on somebody else like a stupid little b—-. Here are some common sense tools to help you with the changes your child is going through.”
Continue reading →

“To Watch Eyes Light Up When It Comes To The Table Sizzling Is Pretty Amazing:” A TDQ Q&A With Benjamin Steakhouse Owner Benjamin Prelvukaj

Posted on by
2

Benjamin Prelvukaj, Benjamin Steak House

Benjamin Prelvukaj with some patrons of his aptly named Benjamin Steak House.

This week’s TDQ Q&A features Benjamin Prelvukaj, owner and proprietor of Benjamin Steakhouse in New York. Benjamin spoke with us about the challenges of running a world-class steakhouse, how he got into the restaurant business and his favorite dish at the restaurant. Here is this week’s TDQ Q&A with Benjamin Prelvukaj:

The Daily Quarterly: What was your favorite restaurant growing up?

Benjamin Prelvukaj: My favorite restaurant was Peter Luger Steak, it was here that I realized my passion was perfecting the classic American Steakhouse.

TDQ: What was your favorite Midtown Manhattan steak place growing up?

BP: I think that Midtown is an area that was lacking a fantastic steakhouse, and that is why I chose the Benjamin Steakhouse location. There are a lot of businessmen and women in the area who are looking for a convenient location, but also consistent and excellent food.

TDQ: What’s the best advice you’ve ever gotten?

BP: Make a living doing something you love and are passionate about!

TDQ: What’s the worst advice you’ve ever gotten?

BP: Open a restaurant…just kidding. It is a lot of work, and very long hours, especially in the beginning, but if you really love it, it is worth it.
Continue reading →

Bada Bing; James Gandolfini Dies At 51

Posted on by
Reply
James Gandolfini

James Gandolfini, right, went to high school with RECOiL writer/director Brian DiMaio, left, who gave Gandolfini one of his earliest acting roles in a deleted scene of RECOiL.

Rome, Italy—Actor James Gandolfini, best known for his role in “The Sopranos,” died Wednesday after suffering a heart attack. He was 51.

Gandolfini played the mobster with a heart of gold, Tony Soprano, in the HBO series from 1999 to 2007. His portrayal earned him a Golden Globe and three Emmy Awards.

He displayed his range in films like “True Romance,” where he played a mob hitman, “Terminal Velocity,” where he played a mobster, “The Juror,” where he played a mobster and “RECOiL,” where he played a hitman for the mob.

He is survived by his second wife, Deborah Lin, and a son, Michael, from his first marriage.