"I brought myself down. I gave them a sword, and they stuck it in, they twisted it with relish. I guess if I’d been in their position, I’d have done the same thing." — Former President Richard M. Nixon in his interview with David Frost
Archive: January 2009 (161-170 of 354)
Jan 20
2009
11:00 AM ET
Jan 20
2009
06:00 AM ET
Chris Harrison blogs 'The Bachelor': episode 3
I’m so happy that many more of you have found this weekly blog. Thank you for making it (and the show) such a success. I have to admit that this is tougher than I thought it was going to be. I want to give you as much info as I can, but it’s hard to talk about the women without giving anything away. Obviously, I know how this turns out, and I’d hate to ruin it for you. A couple of comments to deal with before we break down this week’s episode. Amy, you get the best comment of the week award: "I’m not sure you’re justified to pull away any one’s man card." That was damn funny and made me laugh.
Jan 20
2009
03:01 AM ET
'The Bachelor' episode 3: The phrase 'boob tube' comes to mind
I don’t know about you, Bachelor fans, but I hope the person who came up with tonight’s group date concept gets a raise. It takes a lot of creativity to find an activity that combines nudity, inappropriate touching, and charity work. The bust-building outing wasn’t the only thing that made tonight’s episode notable — from Jason, Stephanie and Sophia’s test-run as a family to the rose ceremony dust-up, episode three was packed with uncomfortable moments. Read all about it in my full TV Watch, but in the meantime, let me know what you think: Is Natalie as shallow as the "ladies" make her out to be? Will Tooth Nazi ever stop crying? And is Lauren right to be afraid of Megan? (My opinion: Hell yes.) But before you start posting, check out Bachelor host Chris Harrison’s new behind-the-scenes blog post, and don’t miss episode three of the EW.com original production known as The Doll Bachelor.
Jan 19
2009
07:00 PM ET
Jensen Ackles in 'My Bloody Valentine': Down the (mine)shaft?
Here’s a question for all you Supernatural/Dean Winchester loyalists who trooped to the cineplex over the weekend: Did My Bloody Valentine 3-D leave you wishing you’d snuck into Notorious instead? (If you could get in, that is. The Biggie biopic was sold out at my inner-city movie house and, in fact, was neck-and-neck with MBV for the No. 3 box office spot.)
At the showing I attended, I distinctly heard giggles — whether they were for the cheesy 3-D F/X, the Swiss-cheese story holes (leaves on trees in February?), or Jensen Ackles’ 1-D glower of a performance, I had no idea. Even this hardened gorehound didn’t expect much from a bare-bones remake of the ’80s knockoff of Friday the 13th (which arguably knocked off Italian great Mario Bava‘s 1971 Twitch of the Death Nerve), but c’mon: Where did Jensen Ackles bury the bad-boy charisma that lent spark and snap to even the less-inspired episodes of the CW series? One can almost understand why he’d phone it in, given the constraints of the role, a cliched script, and the absence of straight-man Jared Padalecki to play off.
Still, one can’t help but wonder whether Ackles — and, for that matter, Padalecki, starring in, yikes, the upcoming Friday the 13th rehash — will share the fate of Kiefer Sutherland, who never quite found his place on the big screen. Or, perish the thought, end up a B-movie mainstay like MBV‘s Tom Atkins or Kevin Tighe. If you’re itching to dissent, PopWatchers, post away. Are you a Jensen Ackles diehard who relished every last hack, slash, and gouge in MBV? Or are you praying, like me, to see him in a more offbeat role that unleashes his cocky strut and sly comedic chops? Do you yearn for Lionsgate to ax the quickie teen slasher dreck in favor of hip, stylish, original horror fare? Do spill.
Jan 19
2009
05:30 PM ET
U2's new single: Is 'Get on Your Boots' any good?
Over the past 20 years, U2′s lead-off singles have been an odd lot. There’s been one flat-out pop masterpiece, "Beautiful Day." There’s been one total miss, "Discotheque." There have been a couple of curiosities that worked on their albums but made for odd first-single picks ("The Fly" and "Numb"). And then there was "Vertigo," the so-so riff-fest that launched their last album, How To Dismantle an Atomic Bomb.
So it was with somewhat low expectations that I sat down to check out their newest single, "Get on Your Boots," the first track from the upcoming album No Line on the Horizon. (You can hear the song here.) Sure enough, things start unpromisingly: a generic heavy metal guitar riff quickly gives way to a shameless rip-off of "Subterranean Homesick Blues," with Bono chanting about "love and community" and "candy floss ice cream."
But just as I was about to shut down the computer and go back to the amazing new Animal Collective album (see Leah Greenblatt’s review), a funny thing happened: the bridge kicked in, and "Boots" suddenly took off. A wash of vocal harmony sets things up nicely, and then Bono comes soaring in, insisting (to whom? who knows?) that "you don’t know/you don’t get it do you/you don’t know how beautiful you are." It’s one of those great U2 moments, the kind of thing that has kept fans on board for more than 30 years now. The song then takes a few more twists and turns, eventually landing back on that original guitar riff, which, by the end of the song, has gone from annoying to insistent and memorable (somehow the "get on your boots" chorus that lays on top totally transforms it).
After just a few listens, "Get on Your Boots" doesn’t seem like one of U2′s all-time great songs, but it’s still interesting — and different — enough to make me pretty excited to hear the whole album.
But what do you think? Is "Boots" another U2 classic or a disappointing dud?
Jan 19
2009
04:54 PM ET
'Brothers & Sisters' recap: Man hunt
Walker Walk of Shame Night wasn’t quite as shameful (or as enjoyable) as I anticipated. Still, it was way better than last week’s filler episode, so I’m happy.
Let’s get the Extraneous Walkers of the Week out of the way first: Tommy was off-screen making that deal with the neighboring orchard that will, unbeknownst to Holly, give him majority stake in Ojai. Kitty left town for a photo shoot in San Francisco, but not before she made Robert remember why he’d miss her (by looking hot holding a shotgun). Saul teased Nora for wanting to jump Roger the architect, then disappeared. (He wouldn’t have shown up for Sarah’s Greenotopia party on the roof of a swanky hotel? Really?) And Justin became the sponsor for a blonde addict named Chelsea because, as he would later tell Rebecca after he spent the night counseling Chelsea instead of with her in the world’s ugliest hotel room, it’s nice to feel needed. (That was the first time I’ve ever disliked Justin. Yes, I can see where he would feel neglected since neither of them used to have anything to do, but Rebecca was a hot mess crying on his should for how long? The moment the girl gets her life together, he’s making her feel guilty for it? I would’ve slapped him, then headed up to the honeymoon suite to make up.)
Another disappointment: I expected Kevin’s hunting trip with Robert and the two Daddy Warbucks to produce some choice sound bites, but "the funny" is the one thing surprisingly skilled marksman Kevin didn’t hit. Sure, he made the requisite Cheney joke, but we deserved more than that. (Luckily, Nora picked up some of the slack when Kevin called asking her to give him an excuse to leave: "You made your bed with Republicans, so lie in it. I gotta go… Don’t get shot.") What we got instead was another example of Robert McCallister’s magic politics: Kevin told the fat cats off after he tired of their "soft" jokes and kicked their asses by gunning down eight quail. Robert told Kevin he had to figure out a way to get the "asshats" to back a McCallister gubernatorial run or he’d take Kevin out back and shoot him and tell Kitty it was a hunting accident. (Did you notice that Rob Lowe cracked a smile after Matthew Rhys used the word "asshats"?) Kevin didn’t technically apologize, but won them over by saying that Robert should’ve fired him but he didn’t — they can expect that same kind of loyalty if they back the senator. I guess, if I squint, I can see where that loyalty line of reasoning would work on the "asshats" (hey, the show used it multiple times), but what I don’t get is why Kevin would be happy having Robert indebted to men whose politics are opposite his (and farther right than the Senator’s). Regardless, this means Robert will have to tell Kitty he’s entering the race, so we have those fireworks to look forward to.
Jan 19
2009
03:24 PM ET
Oh, it's on!: War breaks out on 'The L Word'
Now that we’ve all discussed and enjoyed/winced our way through a tribute to The L Word‘s unforgettably tacky theme song, it’s time to get down to the real work at hand: Let’s discuss last night’s season premiere! In years past, I blogged weekly recaps of each episode, but trying to write about a show that often has eight separate storylines is a tall order–unless you’re Doc Jensen. This time around, I’m going to make things short and sweet, and let you, dear PopWatchers, discuss the episodes on your own terms.
So let’s get the ball rolling: After a brief tease that set up this season’s murder mystery, The L Word zoomed back three months and filled us in on the rest of the fateful night that began with Lez Girls‘ wrap party. The action (most of it, anyway) centered on the fallout from Shane and Nikki’s balcony buffet, which (oh thank you Lord!) sent Crazy Jenny into another tailspin. Bette and Tina ran around town trying to find medical service for their daughter, who was suffering from a 104-degree temperature. (Incidentally, I look forward to the day when I get to call an ER attendant a "bureaucratic maggot.") Alice and Tasha questioned the future of their relationship–with a pit stop at Papi’s apartment. (I hope those of you playing drinking games at home took a big, fat shot when Gaby Deveaux popped in!) And we can’t ignore Helena and Kit’s latest venture. They’ve taken over the late, great Dawn Denbo’s She Bar and turned it into a new club called HIT! Great, just what we need–more opportunities to watch Kit shaking her butt and yelping out, "Ooooh, GURL!" to everyone in her eye line.
What did you think of the season opener? Were you pleased? Can Alice and Tasha make it work? Have Bette and Tina chosen the right sides in the Battle of Shane and Jenny? And where the heck were Phyllis and Jodi? Let’s get going! If you missed the episode, you can watch it below. In any case, tell me what you think!
Jan 18
2009
04:38 PM ET
'SNL' and Rosario Dawson: ZZZzzzZZZzz
Last night’s Saturday Night Live was hosted by Seven Pounds star Rosario Dawson, and I’m pretty sure I only laughed about seven times. (Four of which followed Seth Meyers’ Weekend Update riff: "On Thursday, New York water taxis accomplished in half an hour what the creators of Lost haven’t been able to do in five seasons.")
Not that it was Dawson’s fault, though. She was adorable in almost all of her skits, but I kept hoping for one in which we could really see if she could bring the funny. Instead, we got a bunch of dull acts about things like "making good excuses" and Aladdin and Jasmine’s 10th anniversary carpet ride (embedded here).
We all know the SNL writers have more original ideas up their sleeves, so where was that pizazz last night? The digital short (also embedded after the jump) — which I think was supposed to mock a D.A.R.E. ad, but I’m still not quite sure — even failed to amuse me. Where the heck was Neil Patrick Harris and his Doogie Howser orchestra when we needed them?
One parody that does deserve accolades: The View. That skit seems to get better and better each time they do it. Keenan Thompson’s Whoopi and Fred Armisen’s Joy ("Who cares? So what?") are always top-notch, but it was Kristen Wiigs so-dead-on-it’s-funny-even-to-people-who-don’t-watch-The View impression of ultra-conservative Elisabeth Hasselbeck that won my vote last night ("It wouldn’t print if it weren’t true"). Dawson’s Salma Hayek was also pretty spot-on, but it’s probably not that hard to channel the actress because all you really need is oodles and oodles of cleavage.
As for the musical guest of the evening, I thought it was an interesting choice for SNL to pick the Seattle indie rockers Fleet Foxes. It was great mainstream exposure for them to be on the show, but I’m wondering: How many of you out there actually knew who the heck these Foxes were before last night?
Were you as bored as I was by SNL last night, PopWatchers? How did you think Dawson did as a host? Finally, what were your favorite and least favorite skits? Discuss below!
Jan 18
2009
02:18 PM ET
'Battlestar Galactica': The fifth Cylon speaks
The fifth Cylon, revealed at long last in Friday night’s Season 5 premiere of BSG, speaks to Access Hollywood in this clip. For fans who missed the (rather depressing) kickoff of the final season and haven’t been able to get a little TiVo time, we’ll save the spoilers for after the jump.
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