Archive: October 2007 (1-10 of 253)

Oct 31 2007 11:51 PM ET

Deconstructing Springsteen's set lists (spoilers!...?)

Categories: Music

Boss_lThere are two types of people: those who ardently seek out the set list for every Bruce Springsteen show prior to the tour arriving in their town, and those who don’t. Well, maybe that’s an exaggeration. I suppose I represent a smaller, third subset of humanity: those of us who go on the Web and briefly get obsessed with that kind of minutiae at the start of a tour, and then think better of it a few dates in, realizing that when he gets to our city, it might be nice not to know that "Badlands" will inevitably follow "Long Walk Home," or to be completely surprised if "Candy’s Room" or "Meeting Across the River" or some other song that’s only been performed once this tour has the chance of being pulled out as a wild card. (You say there’s a fourth category of people — those who couldn’t care less about Springsteen or his shows, at all? Listen, my little census can’t account for every bizarre variable.)

We all know what constitutes a spoiler in the world of movies — and in case we at EW ever forget, our readers are there to angrily remind us. But is knowing what might be or is probably coming in a rock ‘n’ roll show grounds for spoiling, or does it simply whet the appetite all the more? I’d be interested to know your thoughts, PopWatchers, being of two minds about the whole thing, myself. It’s not as if we haven’t heard these songs and even committed them to memory, so, you might reckon, what’s to ruin? And with Springsteen, who usually changes his set by at least four songs from night to night, it can be thrilling for a diehard fan to know that an oldie everyone else down the row is taking for granted is actually that holy grail that fans refer to as a "tour premiere." (Last night in L.A., there was one of those: "Kitty’s Back," being played in California for the first time since the 1970s, by some fan accounts.)

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Oct 31 2007 11:19 PM ET

This week's Box Office Challenge winner 'Saw' it coming

Categories: Movies

Chris_lWhile you continue to wash off all that blood and gunk from Saw IV’s box office slaughter last weekend, PopWatchers, I’m here to tell you that the most recent round in EW.com’s Fall Box Office Challenge was a close one. No surprise really, because Saw IV was a sure winner, duh, and all the other movies lined up behind it as most players expected. In fact, a hefty 61 percent correctly picked the franchise fright flick to finish at No. 1, and four folks tied for first place in our competition: "cptgrenade," "linksboy2001," "permatiltx," and, of course, the great "siowafc." That’s him pictured, Mr. Siowafc (a.k.a. Chris B. from Miami), who reports that the key to his Saw IV prediction was… pure peer pressure: "I really despise most horror films and even I went to see this movie," says the pride of the Sunshine State. "It’s notsomething you see because it is a quality movie experience (it’s not), butbecause it’s the Halloween social event of the year." Yep, it’s what all the cool kids are into — just like EW.com’s Fall Box Office Challenge.

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Oct 31 2007 10:10 PM ET

Justin Timberlake's unsung 'SNL' hit

Jt_lI won’t lie: When I saw the Saturday Night Live: The Best of ‘06/’07 DVD on sale at Starbucks a few weeks back, my first thought was, "Must be a short DVD." The best moments from last year’s generally weak season had already made the online rounds ad infinitum, and why spend hard-earned cash to own "D–k in a Box" (pictured) when I can see it on NBC.com (link leads to the uncensored, NSFW version) for free whenever I want?

That was before EW’s Jason Adams alerted me to the presence of a particular bonus feature on the disc: "Five O’Clock," a dress-rehearsal sketch from Justin Timberlake’s episode that got cut from the broadcast. I’ve made no secret of my appreciation for JT’s work, but I still had my doubts — given some of the awful material that made it to the air last season, how funny could a rejected skit be? Well, I finally got around to watching "Five O’Clock" a couple days ago, and I gotta admit, this thing is positively hi-larious.

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Oct 31 2007 10:04 PM ET

Let Goulet rest in peace!

Yahoo_lIt’s been less than 48 hours since Robert Goulet shuffled off this mortal coil, and already the Associated Press is working overtime to honor his memory…by publishing a story about the fact that he might have possibly flubbed the lyrics to "The Star-Spangled Banner" when he performed it before Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston’s 1965 title fight.

Let me be the first to ask: Huh?! Was this really the best time to dig up some random, picayune pseudo-scandal from four decades ago? (Or, as the AP put it, "more than 30 years ago." Ahem.) Besides, the alleged mistakes — "dawn’s early night" and "gave proof through the fight" — aren’t exactly Borat-scale, as desecrations of the national anthem go. They’re barely even Lupe-sized. And Goulet apparently denied that he screwed up those lines at all!

All in all, I gotta wonder who thought this non-news story was a good idea and what they were thinking. Any suggestions?

Oct 31 2007 07:55 PM ET

Hugh Laurie is in da house (and making nice)

Categories: Television

Dr. House is famous for being a misanthropic meany — evenwhen he seems to do something decent, there’s really an ulterior motive. Takelast night’s episode as a case in point: He decides to give hisnewbies/contestants a reprieve from firing, but only because it’ll make him aton of cash from a deal with Chase. Enjoy then, the rap stylings of a pre-House Hugh Laurie extolling the virtuesof being nice. (Yes, I said rap.) Watch. And respect the skillz.

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Oct 31 2007 07:08 PM ET

Sisterhood of the Traveling Dress

Dress_lWhen on Monday night’s episode of The Hills Lauren Conrad announced that she had the perfect dress she’s been holding "on reserve" for her next Amy Astley meeting, what fashionista wasn’t foaming at the mouth to see the couture creation she’d pull out? Imagine our surprise when the Teen Vogue-r didn’t show up in an LC Original, or something terribly exclusive, but the same form-fitting Black Halo dress (pictured, top right) that has steadily been making its way across the viewing week. First Amanda sported it in Season 1 of Ugly Betty (left), then Susan Meyer crashed a funeral in it on Desperate Housewives (bottom right). (It’s also made a slew of red carpet showings, pretty much whenever celebs like Kelly Ripa and Jenny McCarthy want to rock the sexy secretary look.)

As for how much it helped Lauren Conrad with her best impersonation of a highly respectable bow tier, that depends on whether you thought Marc Jacobs left their meeting with a stifled giggle or grimace. Still, from Becki Newton to Teri Hatcher to LC? As they saying goes: One Dress to rule them all…

Oct 31 2007 05:52 PM ET

Anarchy in the U.S.A.

Categories: Music, Television

Sexpistols_lThe Sex Pistols turned up on The Tonight Show last night, just after Tom Cruise showed off his new early-Beatles hairdo and Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul had finished trying to explain his tax policy to Jay Leno. A passable version of the Pistols — a paunchy but growlingly energetic Johnny Rotten (pictured), guitarist Steve Cook, bassist Glen Matlock, and drummer Paul Cook — performed a nicely blaring version of "Anarchy in the U.K." Rotten/John Lydon bent over and wiggled his backside in the direction of Leno and Ron Paul, and ad-libbed a mid-song remark: "When are we getting out of Iraq, Mr. Paul?" Jay, of course, didn’t react to this, just scampered over and shook hands with the band when they were done. Thus posing the question: Is it anarchy if no one reacts?

Still, nice to hear these geezers. Look for the Pistols to show up on Craig Ferguson’s show tonight, which could be more interesting, given that the Scottish Ferguson used to perform in the UK with a punk band called The Bastards From Hell, and recently told me he’s still friends with the Clash’s Mick Jones.

Oct 31 2007 05:42 PM ET

It turns out you really can judge a book by its cover

Categories: Books, Merchandising

Almostmoon_lMy least favorite part of the writing process is titling my work. I’m very particular about titles, because I judge all books by their titles. If the author couldn’t come up with a few intriguing words for the cover, what exactly should I expect in the following 450 pages? Let’s say you’re a writer and the title of your book is A Summer in Nantucket. It might be a national bestseller. It might make Oprah cry. A well-respected critic could declare: "If you only have the opportunity to read one book in this lifetime, read A Summer in Nantucket…a literary triumph, a revolutionary masterpiece, your once in a lifetime." I’d still pass. A Summer in Nantucket sounds like the sort of book you own but never read, something you keep in your beach bag in case a friend who never returns anything asks to borrow a book. Now, let’s say you wrote the same book, but you titled it Nanfu**it. There’s punning profanity. It’s edgy. Parents are picketing to get the book off display shelves. It doesn’t say, "Read me now," it says, "Read me, don’t read me, hell if I care." A Summer in Nantucket might cure insomnia, but I’m reading Nanfu**it.

EW.com has a bestselling fiction chart. I would know, I update it every week. If you’re a writer on the search for the perfect title, consider these observations.

FACT: The odds of your book becoming a bestseller increase dramatically if your title includes a cosmological reference. This week on the chart we have, The Almost Moon (No. 2), not to be confused with Dark of the Moon (No. 6), Star Wars: Death Star (No. 12), or the alternative, A Thousand Splendid Suns (No. 4). For you, that leaves: On the Bright Side of Dusk, The Soul’s Lunar Eclipse, and Stars that Blackout around Dawn.

FACT: If you collaborate with a fellow bestselling writer, it can produce some interesting book chart anomalies and contradictions.  Case in point: this week on the chart we have Run (No. 11), followed by the less ambiguous, Shoot Him if He Runs (No. 13). Currently up for grabs: Speed-Walking to a Slow Death, Move and You’re Dead (So Get Moving), and Quit Running So Fast, I’m Trying to Kill You.

FACT: Convincing the naive masses that they have buried potential and undiscovered talent isn’t the only way to make the non-fiction bestseller list. Become a Better You (No. 1), Be the Pack Leader (No. 15), and Think Big and Kick Ass in Business and in Life (No. 14) worked, but not all readers fall for these self-help title traps. Consider a title with a tone of desperation or indifference, something like Come On People (No. 5) or If I Did It (No. 13). A few ideas: You Haven’t Reached Your Maximum Potential…Yet, Everyone is Sick of Your Bulls**t, and This Kinda Worked For Me.

So PopWatchers, what about a book catches your attention? What are some of the best/worst book titles you’ve ever heard?  If you’ve read Become a Better You and became a better you, let me know. Exactly how much better are you at being you?  I liked you a lot more before you were better…

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Oct 31 2007 03:59 PM ET

'Reaper': A holiday from hell

Categories: Mini TV Watch

Reaper_lKudos to Reaper’s writers for shaking up the formula with this week’s Halloween episode, "Leon." Before the opening credits, our heroes had already captured a runaway soul (who turned out to be none other than Leon Czolgosz, who assassinated President McKinley in 1901), only to discover they couldn’t dump him at the DMV as usual because demon Gladys was on vacation. Turns out — in the episode’s cleverest twist — all hell really does break loose on Halloween; Satan gives everyone time off, since it’s the one day of the year no one takes him or his scary minions at all seriously. Cut to a hilarious Ray Wise monologue, bemoaning the holiday’s Christmas-like "commercialization of evil." (Then cut to one of those incongruously cheerful CW "Happy Halloween" promos for the show, where Wise tries to outgrin a jack-o-lantern while Perry Como croons about the most wonderful time of the year.)

The Halloween vacation only made things tougher for Sam (Bret Harrison, left), of course, since he not only had to hold onto the captured Leon, but also go after another escaped soul, who had once been a serial killer known as the Butcher. Keeping Leon under glass (his vessel was a snowglobe) proved especially difficult because Leon (a droll guest turn by Patton Oswalt) refused to shut up, nattering on about how he was improving himself through psychotherapy. This, in turn, led Sock to steal the vessel, first in order to prank Ted, and then (swayed by Leon’s insistence that he was a changed soul), to liberate Leon to help the boys find the Butcher. Not only was this a bad idea, but it threatened to destroy Sock and Sam’s friendship. Oh, and possibly get them both killed.

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Oct 31 2007 03:57 PM ET

'Bones': Dressed to kill

Categories: Mini TV Watch

Bones_lI love Halloween episodes, if only for the opportunity to see my favorite characters dressed up in wacky costumes. And last night’s episode of Bones did not disappoint. Not only were we treated to a nerdy version of Booth doing his best squint impersonation and Brennan looking pretty damn hot in her Wonder Woman outfit, but also the plot was a logical holiday tie-in. The spooky maze where the first mummified body was found, as well as the haunted house where the second one was discovered, didn’t feel like forced contrivances (unlike the unseen patron party which was the excuse for the Jeffersonian staff to put on costumes. More on that later.). Sure, we never really got to understand the particular pathology of the snarky EMT-serial killer but, hey, he was dressed as a clown when Booth killed him. What more can you ask for?

Speaking of clowns, Booth showed his truly manly side when he copped to having coulrophobia, an abnormal fear of clowns. His little shriek and jump in front of the scary clown in the haunted house was priceless and in no way emasculating (ahem). I loved that Brennan referenced his shooting-the-clown-on-the-ice-cream-truck incident from last season but wouldn’t this fear have been a pertinent disclosure during that whole arc?

Booth and Brennan exhibited little shifts in their personalities this week. Was anyone else surprised by Brennan’s acceptance of that minister’s argument against abortion? I know she wasn’t swayed by it, but for someone who is normally so intolerant of fundamentalists and religious zeal in general (usually when talking to Booth) she sure did seem pretty zen about the whole thing. And devout Christian Booth was the one to take issue with the minister’s "kind of horrific" Hell House pitch, feeling like they’re on the wrong side of the issue.

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