Archive: January 2009 (101-110 of 354)

Jan 24 2009 04:27 PM ET

Apple and Steve Jobs, Happy Anniversary! The Mac Turns 25

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Filed under: Gadgets and tagged: , , , ,

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If you’re spending your Saturday morning like me, you’re looking around the web on your ‘puter — I’m a Mac, perhaps you’re a PC? — and you also saw a story or three about the Mac, Steve Jobs’ ingenious invention before his other ingenious inventions like the iPod and iPhone, turning 25 today. With all the news around Jobs’ health these days, it’s nice to be able to gnaw on the thing(s) that made Apple, and the man behind it, great.

Check out our gallery of things we’d like to thanks Mr. Jobs for — his contributions to pop culture have been indelible, and quite edible. (If you missed the link, click here.) And join us in wishing Mac a happy 25th birthday!

Jan 23 2009 11:30 PM ET

Enter the Fray: Inauguration, Oscars, and 'American Idol'

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Filed under: American Idol and tagged: , ,

Springsteenfanning_lWith the -elect officially gone from President Obama’s title, I think it’s safe to say that the election is really, truly over. Thank goodness, because there’s another round of votes to tally: the Oscars. With the nominations announced Thursday, the Inauguration on Tuesday, and a steady stream of Idol all week long, there’s been plenty of pop-culture related activity for a four-day week.

10. Bill O’Reilly and Dennis Miller started some beef with Jay-Z and Young Jeezy. Seriously.

9. Jensen Ackles must’ve left his charisma somewhere on the Supernatural set, because Ben Spier is pretty sure he didn’t bring it to My Bloody Valentine 3-D.

8. Hey Dubya, thanks for the eight years of memories!

7. Battlestar Galactica season 4.5 premiered Friday night, and Marc Bernardin wondered ”What the FRAK just happened?” — an exclamation I’ve shortened to ”BSG: WTF?!”

6. Lindsay Soll only laughed seven times during Saturday’s Rosario Dawson-hosted SNL. I laughed zero times, but that’s because I didn’t watch it.

5. The election’s done, but we haven’t heard the last of Sarah Palin — the Alaska governor is reportedly looking for a book and TV deal once she’s done governing next year.

4. Chris Harrison gave us more behind-the-scenes info about the latest Bachelor episode.

3. It got off to a slow start, but Rob Brunner ended up digging the new U2 single. Not as much as previous lead singles, but enough to get him excited for the upcoming album.

2. Rumor has it that Dakota Fanning was offered the role of small-but-deadly vampire Jane in New Moon, and Mandi Bierly wondered who could play Jane’s bro Alec.

1. The Academy might’ve recognized Slumdog Millionaire and Ben Button, but there were a significant number of snubs — Springsteen for Best Original Song, anyone?

addCredit(“Bruce Springsteen: Jason Merritt/Getty Images; Dakota Fanning: Kevin Mazur/WireImage.com”)

Jan 23 2009 11:00 PM ET

Pilot season: 'Ab Fab' import and 'Witches of Eastwick'-based drama a go

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Filed under: Television, To Care or Not to Care and tagged: , ,

Pilot_l We continue our coverage of pilot season with three new greenlights and three new TAGs (Totally Arbitrary Grades). Still the same awesome "pilot season" photo.

• Absolutely Fabulous: According to The Hollywood Reporter, Fox has ordered a pilot filmed for an Americanized version of the Brit comedy, Ab Fab — despite the fact that 83 percent of PopWatchers said they thought the idea was drab, not fab, in an EW.com poll when the project was first announced. Having Arrested Development‘s Mitch Hurwitz among the producers is still comforting. As is the fact that Jennifer Saunders, who starred in the original series as drug-addled has-been fashionista Edina, is among the pilot’s exec producers. Still, we fear Fox won’t let them "go there." TAG: C

• Eastwick: ABC has ordered a pilot for this drama, loosely based on the 1987 film The Witches of Eastwick starring Cher, Susan Sarandon, and Michelle Pfeiffer, THR reports. It could be Desperate Magical Housewives. Sexy! TAG: A- 

• Mercy: NBC is shooting a pilot for this "drama with comedic elements that revolves around three nurses bound together in friendship by the highs and lows of their personal and professional lives," THR says. Hmmm. I want to be a sister since this, like the other two pilots mentioned, calls for female leads, and it’s written and exec produced by Liz Heldens (Friday Night Lights). But I don’t want to think it’s the Peacock’s attempt at Grey’s Anatomy. TAG: B-

More on pilot season:
Will Absolutely Fabulous work as an American sitcom?
Pilot season: Grade Fox’s latest orders

Jan 23 2009 10:20 PM ET

Iron Maiden documentary: Rock -- but don't mock!

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Filed under: Movies and tagged: ,

My first reaction to news of the upcoming documentary, Iron Maiden: Flight 666 (due in April): [Throws up the devil horns]: "Maiden. Frickin’. RULES." My reaction when I read it would be an "intimate and revealingportrait" of the rockers: "Please, not another Some Kind of Monster." Now, I loved that Metallica documentary as much as anyone. But that enjoyment was derived from the way it portrayed the mighty rockers as a group of whiny, dysfunctional millionaires battling through middle-age crisis. Metallica, of course, brought it on themselves, having cashed in their greasy-haired metal roots for a Load of eye-liner, alt-rock, and Seger covers in the 1990s. But Maiden is different. Purer, if you will. They never reached the level of popularity Metallica did (though they came pretty close), but one could argue they are even more influential — Metallica may have perfected thrash/speed metal and taken it to new heights, but they didn’t invent it in the same way as Maiden and the other New Wave of British Heavy Metal bands introduced a dramatic, non-blues-based operatic quality to metal music. The trailer (embedded here) has me cautiously optimistic that the "intimate" portrait merely refers to insight into their lives as golfers, soccer players, and airline pilots — as well as musicians still worshiped by their fans.

So I’m down for a movie that shows the human beings behind the metal gods I see on stage alongside a giant skeleton man. But I’ll be mighty pissed if instead of celebrating Iron Maiden and their contributions, this movie in any way paints them as a weak, washed-up joke.

Whaddya think, PopWatchers? Has that Metallica documentary made me too paranoid, or does that "intimate" description justify my concern? I think I’m gonna dig out some old Maiden records tonight and hope for the best. Number of the Beast is still my fave — what’s yours?

Jan 23 2009 07:45 PM ET

Keira Knightley and Colin Farrell together, for the first time

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Filed under: Movies and tagged: , , ,

Knightlyfarrell_lKeira Knightley and Colin Farrell will star in the movie adaption of the Ken Bruen novel London Boulevard. According to Variety, "Farrell will play a South London criminal who, after release fromprison, tries to give up the gangster life by becoming a handyman for areclusive young actress."

Be honest: What was your first thought reading that? Mine was, Oh, so they’ll have sex. A hot handyman? It’s on. (If I’m wrong, I don’t want to know. And the studio releasing the film doesn’t want you to tell me.) Anyone else psyched about this project, lasciviously or otherwise?

Jan 23 2009 07:43 PM ET

'30 Rock': Relatable Liz Lemon Moment of the Week

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Filed under: Television and tagged: ,

Tina Fey pulled off her first Grooving to "Everybody Dance Now" in Just a Bra scene last night — an important milestone, to be sure. And yet, as usual, the 30 Rock clip I want to play again and again the next day is one of her painful/awesome flashbacky asides to herself. That’s So Lemon! You know, like Raven. Press play below.

What "stupid bitch" among us has honestly never done this? Ah, Liz Lemon, always making me feel better about myself. (And then seconds later…worse. But it’s somehow worth it.)

Okay, I’m off to C.L.A.S.S. (Consuming Lunch And Simple Socializing). How much do we love Jack and Liz as superfriends?! Does what happen in Croton-on-Hudson really stay in Croton-on-Hudson? Did Cheney consent? Leave a comment. You know the rule: "Always Be Talking."

Jan 23 2009 07:00 PM ET

'The Dark Knight' returns to IMAX: Will you check it out (again)?

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Filed under: Movies and tagged: , ,

Darkknightbike_dlThe Dark Knight has opened in IMAX once again! Starting today, 143 domestic screens (and 29 international!) will make it seem like Christian Bale is about to drive that thing RIGHT INTO YOUR NOSTRILS. TDK is the first major Hollywood movie to be partially shot by IMAX cameras; six sequences in particular were intended to attack you from all angles on the big screen. Check the complete list of IMAX locations at ComingSoon.net.

I’m definitely looking forward to seeing TDK in IMAX, but it’s with a heavy heart. I fear it’s gonna be so good that I’ll have to relegate my current all-time favorite IMAX movie — Michael Jordan to the Max — to second place. My collection of commemorative Chicago Bulls Starter tees (repeat, three-peat, single peat, etc.) would probably never speak to me again. And then what?

Will you see The Dark Knight in IMAX again? And name your favorite IMAX scene ever! My wingspan apparently could use some expansion

More on The Dark Knight:
EW’s review of The Dark Knight
Cover Story: Inside The Dark Knight
Box Office Report: The Dark Knight nabs the biggest opening ever
PopWatch: Did the hype ruin The Dark Knight for you?

Jan 23 2009 05:55 PM ET

Live like a Mad Man

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Filed under: Mad Men and tagged:

Bryanbatt_l1PopWatch isn’t in the habit of doling out home decorating advice, but we can’t resist anything having to do with Mad Men. Check out these two videos, in which Bryan Batt (Sal) gives a tour of his turn-of-the-last-century New Orleans carriage house and offers tips on throwing a boozy ’60s-style bash. (Vodka-and-milks for everyone!)

The clips are courtesy of myhomeideas.com, the online home of a bunch of our Time Inc. sister publications, including Southern Accents, Coastal Living, and Sunset.

More on Mad Men:
Jon Hamm and Tina Fey on 30 Rock
Mad Men creator to stay with the show
Mad Men Season 2 review

Jan 23 2009 05:42 PM ET

'Idolatry': What's wrong with season 8 of 'American Idol'?

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Filed under: American Idol and tagged: ,

Wait, wait…American Idol haters, don’t answer that! American Idol addicts, let’s discuss. After watching this week’s audition episodes from San Francisco and Louisville, Jessica Shaw and I got to wondering…is it time to relegate the "funny" auditions to a single blooper hour? Where the heck are season 8′s potential superstars? Has Kara DioGuardi’s welcome already started to wear thin? And how professional is too professional (in terms of Idol wannabes)? Press play below (if only to see a certain Top Doll contestant make a cameo!), then head to the comments section to weigh in with your own thoughts.

More on ‘American Idol’:
‘American Idol’ Recap: Kentucky Blues
‘American Idol’ recap: Finding Hacks in Cali
EW’s ‘American Idol’ HQ

Jan 23 2009 05:37 PM ET

Veatrice Rice, R.I.P.

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Filed under: Television and tagged: ,

Jimmy Kimmel Live! regular Veatrice Rice, a real-life security guard who often appeared on the show, died of cancer on Jan. 21. Rice popped up regularly on air — either in her own eye-rollin’ so-not-amused persona or disguised as foul-mouthed pop cultural alter-egos like Black Heidi Montag, Black Madonna ("I adopted a white baby!") and our personal favorite, Black Sarah Plain ("You betcha. Can I go back to being black now?") Press play for Kimmel’s tribute to Rice on last night’s show.

Rice’s ABC bio claims "She has no heroes," and for that, she’s officially one of ours. R.I.P., Veatrice.

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