So it's Spider-Man week here in NYC and thanks to the Mighty Ganesha at The Diva Review I was able to attend a couple of the events as at least a pseudo-professional. First up on Monday was the ceremonial lighting of the Empire State building with the cast and director Marc Webb. I can't believe their model building doesn't have King Kong hanging of the top of it (or a certain spandexed superhero) but overall it was worth battling some overtaxed photogs to witness the Spidey crew push the lever.  Very Metrolpolis - wait that's the wrong city!

Then Wednesday saw Peter Parker on the steps of the Museum of Natural History to present the santa looking arachnid expert with a live Chilean Rose Tarantula. Thank heaven this event was outside because I was already getting the creeps picturing myself and a bunch of rabid photogs battling for position amongst a bunch of live spiders.  No nightmare scenario at all -the press couldn't have been more friendly and accommodating and santa was so anxious that his beautiful (and big and furry) spider didn't bake in the brutal sun (that same sun that caused Andrew Garfield to strip mid-event). Andrew was so gracious and hurled himself into the group of fans observing to sign autographs and take pictures. I'm a bit bias but AG is one of the sweetest people ever and one of the finest living actors to boot. I had the privilege (the Mighty Ganesha blesses me again) of seeing The Amazing Spider-Man earlier this month and his Peter Parker is a real wonder. This is a comparison you hear all the time

and I never give it much credit, but AG reminds me of James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause - watchful, uncomfortable, anguished, in love, witty. His performance is so nuanced yet naturalistic it's a bit of a shame the whole movie doesn't quite live up to it. Still I strongly urge everyone to go see The Amazing Spider-Man next week - it's filled with great moments, great performances and for the first time it looks and feels like this kid is really flying through a great big city. My city.

 It's been along time since I first read Andrew got the part and even since I haunted the NYC production and I'm thrilled the movie is finally here ready to be ingested. So eat it up!

Peter Parker textbook mystery solved

Didn't need Encyclopedia Brown for this one. I just noticed this afternoon that you can spy the spine of the book Peter Parker is reading on the roof when Uncle Ben interrupts him in one of my photos. I put my brilliant deductive team, Jane and El Fano, on the case and they soon determined it's name, Splice Of Life! This does not seem to be a real textbook, so when it shows up on ebay next year, you know it's a real prop. I thought maybe Andrew Garfield was sketching out his Spidey suit atop the roof, like Tobey did before him, but either this is a brilliant bit of foreshadowing or our super smart student is researching his new changes.
Also I snapped a pic of a crew member sporting this shirt. I orginally thought it might have some other clue to the plot of The Amazing Spider-Man, but it appears to be a vintage cover. Can any comic book afficianados confirm?

Caught in the web

So now that the Rangers have gone on summer break (and the Caps too, so suddenly!) I've had a little time to devote to The Amazing Spider-Man, whose cast and crew have set up shop this past week in my backyard. Still with a big production like this you never know what situation you're walking into when you arrive at the reported location. Imagine my delight yesterday when I rounded a corner in search of the shoot to find one Peter Parker perched atop a Park Slope roof. Now it's no secret I have a bit more of a tendre for PP than Spidey himself (ever since raindrops kept falling on Tobey's head), so the bespectacled Andrew Garfield set my heart aflutter.

I think this must be the exterior of Uncle Ben and Aunt May's house because the first scene had PP addressing Martin Sheen down below. Reminds me of My So Called Life. If only AG was sporting Krakow hair! Mr. Garfield was a delight, as always. More than I can say for his handler, who neglected to pass along a small token despite a fervent promise to do so. Suck it, Lou Reed wannabe.

Still I'm jonzing for every bit of Spidey I can get, and it's well more than a year until this thing hits theatres.

xo Dollo

Note: If you borrow these images please credit me, Dollie Banner.