CBS crime procedurals are big mainstream hits, but hardly the kind of shows that resonate with the geek culture. However, the new CBS pilot Hawaii Five-0 is certainly getting geek attention, thanks to the fanboy-friendly cast involved. With Grace Park (Battlestar Galactica) and Daniel Dae Kim (Lost) both among the main cast, the latest Comic-Con friendly actor to take a notable role is Buffy the Vampire Slayer / Angel alum James Marsters, who has now revealed, via his official Facebook page, that he will appear in the pilot, “as the nemesis of lead character Jack McGarrett (Alex O’Loughlin).”

This is fantastic news!! It’s unclear how permanent this role on Hawaii Five-0 will be for Marsters but if he is really going to play the protagonist’s “nemesis” then that implies a lasting adversarial relationship that should last for a while!! After the jump, read the deets as they were posted on James Marsters’s Facebook page earlier this week …

Exclusive Scoop: Aloha fans! James is winging his way to Hawaii to join the cast of CBS’s HAWAII FIVE-O Pilot. He will be guesting as the nemesis of lead character Jack McGarrett. (This will not affect his appearance at San Francisco’s WonderCon.)

Woooooot!! I vaguely remember watching the original Hawaii Five-0 series waaaaay back in the day but I have no idea what it’s really all about (I was more of a Magnum P.I. guy). That being said, considering how cool this cast of the new Five-0 looks, well, I think I’ll be tuning in faithfully to watch the show. Is this not the best news ever? Wee!! James Marsters will be BACK on network TV!!

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“Buffy the Vampire Slayer” star Nicholas Brendon fell short in the slaying department a few hours ago, after he allegedly swung at a couple of cops, and then went on a misguided foot chase. Law enforcement sources tell TMZ they received a call that a drunk man was causing a commotion in Venice, CA. When police responded, sources say Brendon took a swing at cops. We’re told Brendon then beat a hasty retreat … Brendon was tased twice, subdued and taken to a hospital. He’s currently being booked for felony vandalism — for allegedly damaging some property during the fracas.

Ugh … this is so sad :( I understand that Brendon has had problems with the drink in the past, particularly in the days following the end of the BtVS TV series … it would appear that those demons reared their ugly heads last night. As you may recall, David and I saw Nicholas live on stage in The Santaland Diaries last November and he was great! I guess last night was just not one of his better nights :( I’m not certain but I believe this is Nicky’s first arrest … hopefully, it’ll be his last :(

The moral of this sad tale? Beer Bad.

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OOOOH man … I am LOVING Season 8 of Buffy. I need to finish this graphic novel so I can get totally caught up again but the whole Twilight thing is just … genius. Joss Whedon, I do love you. I know I should’ve spent my night reading the current Turtle Party: Book Club selection (which I announced yesterday) but the siren call of Buffy the Vampire Slayer was too much to ignore. Wee!!

No plans for tonight … but I’m anxious to get out of the house. It’s cool today but sunny … I’m gonna try and make the most of it. Um, how is it Wednesday again so soon? Oy!

I understand this incredible lookin’ Robot Chicken cake was provided for Seth’s eating enjoyment by Gimme Some Sugar Bakery. But, before the cake came a sumptuous dinner at the very fancy schmancy Society Café Encore. Considering how long the poor guy had to wait to celebrate his birthday, I understand he and his party celebrated into the wee hours of the morning … killin’ bottles of Grey Goose and Patron. Seth is my homie from way back … he is one of my fave comedic actors and, of course, I will always love him as the werewolf Oz in Buffy the Vampire Slayer!! I hope Seth and his friends enjoyed themselves immensely in Sin City last night … let’s send all of our belated Birthday Lurve to Seth Green today!!

Shock Till You Drop has your exclusive first look at the one-sheet and trailer for Psychosis, writer-director Reg Traviss’ film which went into production at the beginning of the year under another title: Vivid. Star Charisma Carpenter (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) shares the screen with Ricci Harnett and Sean Chapman (Hellraiser). And yes, that’s The Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins you see making an appearance. Carpenter plays Susan, a writer hoping for a fresh start after a nervous breakdown. She relocates with her new husband to a beautiful English mansion. But once there she begins seeing visions of a horrible massacre that happened 15 years earlier. Desperate to prove she isn’t losing her mind, Susan must uncover the secrets behind the massacre or risk becoming a victim herself. Psychosis arrives soon from Imagination Worldwide, Red Sparrow and Kingsway Films.

I understand that news of this new film came out last October but it was only because of a post at ONTD! that I learned of its existence. Sure, this film looks more like something that Sarah Michelle Gellar would star in but I love me some Charisma Carpenter so I am DYING to see this for myself. Check out the full length movie trailer after the jump …

Eliza Dushku told SCI FI Wire that she thinks her next film is a supernatural horror outing called Open Graves. Why “thinks” rather than “knows”? Well, Open Graves is listed on IMDB as having been completed, but the star of Fox’s Dollhouse has no idea what’s happening with the long-finished project. “I don’t know,” Dushku said in an interview to promote Dollhouse. “I did a film in Spain, but I don’t where or how or when it’ll be released. It was a horror movie” … Dushku said that the film was directed by Alvaro de Arminan, one of Pedro Almodovar’s proteges, making his feature-helming debut. “He sent me this script,” she said. “This other actor [Mike Vogel of Cloverfield] that I was collaborating with, we shipped off to Spain to shoot a movie about these American students that are living [and surfing] in Spain, and they come upon this creepy game [which resembles a Ouija board]. And, one by one, the game starts killing these kids.” Dushku said that she is uncertain about the film’s fate. “I don’t know,” she said. “To be honest, I had just talked to the director, and he seemed like an interesting chap. And spending three months in northern Spain sounded like a nice vacation and adventure as well. But I don’t really know how it came together.” Open Graves, which was previously titled Mamba, is still without a distributor.

I’m intrigued that this film was directed by an apprentice of Almodovar but the premise sounds more like a movie that Sarah Michelle Gellar would star in … which is not a good thing. Still … I’d check out any film that stars the lovely Ms. Dushku. After the jump, check out a few more promo photos from Open Graves along with a trailer for the film …

It’s entirely possible that the family were just lookin’ at the new home for fun but, who knows, mebbe they’re lookin’ for a fresh place to live? Whether or not they are moving, I couldn’t help but post these pics because HOW FREAKIN’ CUTE is little Miss Satyana? She is so big already … I can’t hardly believe it. She will be turning 1 year old next month … which is insane to me. I guess we’ll have to wait and see if the Hannigan-Denisofs really do decide to move but I hope they stay in the beautiful home they live in now. Change is good but not in every instance ;)

[Photo credit: Bauer-Griffin]

Michelle has been playing with sweets since the age of 3, when she spilled cranberry juice for a Wisk commercial. Thankfully, she managed to steer clear of sugary 30-second purgatory to firmly plant herself in the pop consciousness with roles as Buffy’s sister on TV’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer and an exhibitionist co-ed in the film EuroTrip. We should also mention that both roles led to Trachtenberg amassing a rather large number of not-so-secret admirers. So when pedophilic fans of Buffy (and non-pedophilic fans of bikinis) heard that she would be co-starring in something called A Couple of Dicks, you could forgive (and understand) their excitement.

Born and bred in Brooklyn! Did you ever get flashed or groped on the train growing up?
Michelle Trachtenberg: [Laughs.] I did. I was a kid, so I didn’t get groped—that would be really creepy. But there were some men not fully dressed that I saw on the subway. My mom and I would pretend that we were crazy people—because a crazy person doesn’t want to approach another crazy person.

What’s the nastiest thing anyone’s said to you on the streets of New York?
Michelle Trachtenberg: It’s probably been more recent, since I’ve grown into my womanly form. You know, you’ll walk by a construction site and it’s like, “You kiss your mama with that ass?” What does that even mean? I don’t kiss my mama with my ass because it’s back there! My lips are up here, so that’s weird. It worked though, ’cause I turned around and was like, “What does that mean?!” So he won.

And you spoke for several hours.
Michelle Trachtenberg: Um, he’s my boyfriend.

So, A Couple of Dicks. Did you sign on for the title alone?
Michelle Trachtenberg: Totally. Best headline of my life: “Trachtenberg Likes Dicks.” How can you not have A Couple of Dicks on your IMDB page? I sent a mass e-mail to all my agents and managers like, “I would like to thank y’all for your contribution to my 20-year career, because I am now on top of some dicks.”

There must have been lots of dick jokes on the set. What was the best one?
Michelle Trachtenberg: “Are we rolling on Dicks?” “Sort of. Don’t make it hurt.”

The interview excerpts continue after the jump. Read on and see a batch of photos from her HAWT Complex photospread …

What’s the oddest thing you’ve encountered working in the Joss Whedon universe?
Michelle Trachtenberg: There was a group of followers who really believed that Joss was God; they made hats about it and wanted me to wear [one]. They were like, “You work with God every day,” and were absolutely set on him being actual God. He is a creative genius, but I’m pretty sure he’s not actually G-O-D.

God of his universe, maybe. Would you work with him again?
Michelle Trachtenberg: I think he’s extraordinary; he definitely knows how to put women in a strong superhero-type role. If there was something that wasn’t Buffy-related, it would definitely be interesting.

A stake through the heart of Buffy fans!
Michelle Trachtenberg: There is a [new] Buffy movie being talked about, and some people think they should do one. There [already] was a Buffy movie, that’s what started it all. We had an amazing seven-year run, and at the end of Buffy, the universe ended. [Laughs.] There’s not really anywhere to go.

Many of your drooling devotees fell in love with you on Buffy—when you were 14. What was the creepiest thing you encountered on your journey to legality?
Michelle Trachtenberg: Oh, goodness! I heard that there were “Trachtenberg to 18″ counters. Even at the time, I was like, “You’re never gonna get a chance! So what’s your counter for?” And now I’m like, “You’re still never gonna get a chance, even if I’m 30, so you don’t need no counter.”

That’s awfully dismissive. You hardly know these gentlemen.
Michelle Trachtenberg: If anyone’s checking a counter, it’s pretty safe to say that I’m not going to give them much thought. It’s creepy. I once dated a guy who was like, “Holy shit, I just made out with Harriet the Spy!” And that’s messed up. Don’t say that. I was 10, you’re 30, it’s just weird.

Speaking of which, why are you into older men?
Michelle Trachtenberg: I’m not necessarily being ageist, but someone who is older has lived life more. Someone could surprise me, but I feel like there’s a phase guys go through in their early twenties when they’re supposed to hook up with a lot of chicks and break a lot of hearts. That’s great, I’d just like to catch you after that. I’m not looking to settle down and make babies, I’m just not looking for the guy who’s texting seven different girls like, “Let’s screw here. Let’s hook up later.” I’ve always had at least a six- or seven-year age difference with boyfriends. And I guess I still have resentment towards all the boys in high school.

Firstly, damn … she looks great. I love this shoot. The black and red really works. She looks fantastic and sexy without having to strip down. Love it. Secondly, my dear MT is wrong. The Buffyverse lives on in the Season 8 comic books … which is different from the TV version of the show but dead, it is not. I’d love to have Michelle team up again with Joss Whedon in a new, non-Buffy project … so long as it doesn’t air on Fox. But, yeah, this photospread … well done. I’d love to see more MT like this. If you are interested, you can read the rest of Michelle’s Complex coverstory interview HERE. What do y’all think … is this shoot hot or what?

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I had forgotten how amazing the books are. The first graphic novel, The Long Road Home, tells the story of how the US military (lead by the shadowy Twilight) has decided to make an enemy of Buffy and all the slayers of the world, No Future For You collects the books that tell the Faith portion of Season 8, Wolves at the Gate features the most famous vampire of all Dracula, Time of your Life throws Buffy into the future where she meets up with the sole Slayer in the future Fray and Predators and Prey features a fun segue that revolves around everyone’s fave, ditzy vampire Harmony getting her own reality TV show. Yes, the comics are a bit of a departure from the TV series but they are really fun, written by the actual Buffy writers and are advancing the mythos in such a way that could never be achieved on TV or in (dare I say it) movies. Now that we know who Twilight is, I’m really anxious to see where the story will go from here. It really sucked being sick yesterday but at least I was given the opportunity to bone up on Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 8 … which I’ve been really lax in reading lately.

I’m not sure what the plan is for tonight, I’m hoping to get out of the house tho … I’ve been cooped up for far too long. I need to bask in the SoCal sun while I still can. We’re supposed to get 3 big rainstorms starting tomorrow that will bury us under 20 or so inches of rain! OY!!

Just like with the Julie article, you can read the full interview with Eliza Dushku HERE. To be honest, this photo shoot isn’t my fave Eliza shoot. The overdressed look doesn’t really work for her in this spread but you be the judge. After the jump, check out a few photos of Eliza Dushku in MF magazine …

Eliza is really pretty, totally beautiful but … I don’t love this shoot. The make-up, the styling … it’s just not working for me. I’d like to see more but not if the photos look like this. Meh.

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