If the Four Seasons designed a Medieval Times in Aspen, it would look like the massive stone castle that hosted the fraternity reunion for Will Ferrell, Luke Wilson, and Vince Vaughn.
The cast of “Old School” gathered for the first time since the Friendster era on the Sony lot on Saturday night for Spike's annual June feast of talent.
As the 2003 comedy was inducted into the “Guy Movie Hall of Fame,” director Todd Phillips leveraged the airtime to settle an old score.
“Noted jerkoff Roger Ebert gave the movie one star and said ‘this is not a funny movie,’” Phillips gloated.
At his side, Ferrell honored the occasion by hoisting a shoebox-sized turkey leg in the air and yelling “Game of Thrones!”
Other big names letting their guard down on the Spike stage represent similar booking coups for the cable network.
Many of the faces would be just as at home presenting on stage or attending Hollywood and Highland on a Sunday in late February: Christian Bale, Mark Wahlberg, Christopher Nolan, Phillips and the foursome pictured above - Matthew McConaughey, Camila Alves, Jeremy Renner and Channing Tatum.
Justin Timberlake paid back an invitation I.O.U, bringing the female marine who invited him to last year’s Marine Corps Ball, Kelsey De Santis, while accepting the Troops' Choice award.
Viacom president and CEO Philipe Dauman, Debbie Dauman, Timberlake, Patriots owner and Viacom board member Robert Kraft and Ricki Lander backstage at the show.
Between the black pipe and drapes that barely contained the bustling backstage lounge, the warmest reception came between MTV Entertainment Networks president Doug Herzog and Adam Sandler.
Their relationship goes back nearly 25 years to when Herzog helped give Sandler a break on MTV’s first ever non-music video program: “Remote Control.”
Moments earlier, industry social pillar Pantera Sarah brokered introductions between Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers and Sandler, as Channing Tatum quickly polished a cocktail before stepping out of the heavily guarded area and heading toward the stage.
In another circle, Seth MacFarlane held court with a group of media defending against the reaction to his “Family Guy” Emmy screener that arrived last week. “Come on, you bloated, overprivileged Brentwood Jews. Let us into your little club,” the animated Peter Griffin says on the cover.
While the talent, their guests, and their publicists largely ignored the live feed in favor of each other, Robert Smigel’s Triumph the Insult Comic Dog riff on the “Douchebags of the Year” was the one segment that craned heads and hushed the greenroom.
Sample shtick: “Rihanna and Chris Brown are making music together again? Those two go together like peanut butter and whatever punches peanut butter in the face.”
Had Kobe Bryant and the Lakers playoff fortunes been richer, Bryant would have been playing the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday night instead of greeting noted Laker fan Tobey Maguire and posing for photos with troops in uniform, the largest and most vocal constituency of the live audience.
While the made-for-TV awards show tapes 24 hours before corporate cousin “MTV’s Movie Awards” airs live and shares a lot of the same summer movie talent, Executive Producer Casey Patterson’s partnerships and pull with the A-list talent community, along with an “eat with your hands” dinner feast lubricated with flowing drinks and allergy to awards-show banter in lieu of variety-show bits sets the Spike show apart.
The clubhouse vibe in front and back of the house suggests the same authenticity as Comedy Central’s infamous roasts, while MTV’s cheer-on-command infomercial with LMFAO (again) the following night offers a prepackaged whiff by comparison.
Patterson, (EVP of Event Production, Talent, and Studio Relations for the Viacom Entertainment Group) and Carol Donovan executive-produce the two-hour special that premieres next Saturday night, June 9, at 9:00 p.m., before lots of repeats.
As Russell Brand presided over the actual MTV’s festivities at Universal on Sunday, his fellow Brits were making a break for the westside.
On palatial grounds built by “American Top 40” money (Casey Kasem’s house), BAFTA Los Angeles celebrated its 25th Anniversary with a garden party for about 500 accented Angelenos timed to the festivities happening in honor of Queen Elizabeth II in London.
"Downton Abbey's" Michelle Dockery sprung into action as a first responder when pal Brenda Vaccaro missed a step and took a tumble down some stairs. No hats were damaged.
While guests were glue gunning Union Jack flags, prop passports, and even mini Smurf figurines in kilts on to colorful hats in the pop-up haberdashery, royal cousins everywhere were teeming with jealousy.
