Archive: June 2009 (111-120 of 438)

Jun 22 2009 06:36 PM ET

Google Maps reveals 'Seinfeld' landmarks. But where's Bizarro Jerry?

It ain't Festivus, but Google Maps has given us one cool gift: a Seinfeld-inspired map that allows you to zoom in on the location of Monk's Diner, Hunan 5th Ave., and Jerry's apartment, a.k.a. Vandelay Industries. (Of course, the show was filmed in Los Angeles, but let's suspend disbelief for a few minutes here.) Looking at the map, what I find most interesting is the distance between Elaine's and Jerry's apartments. I find it quite hard to believe that a downtown gal would have the patience to constantly pop into her ex-boyfriend's Upper West Side pad, since it's hard enough to maintain crosstown long-distance friendships here in NYC. But then again, it is likely hard to maintain a friendship with anyone when you're constantly shoving them on the ground, or publicizing your previous sexual experience with their husband-to-be at their wedding. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

A few lingering questions: Where's the Bubble Boy? Where would George place his non-existent home in The Hamptons? And does Bizarro Jerry live on the Upper East Side? Finally, what other TV show-inspired Google Maps would you like to see, PopWatchers (my vote: Dexter. So I know how to stay far, far away from Miami Metro)?

Jun 22 2009 06:16 PM ET

Tim Burton's 'Alice in Wonderland': First-look photos are pretty darn stunning

Categories: Movies

The-mad-hatter_l The first photos from director Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland are online, and man, are they stunning. In addition to portraits of Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, Anne Hathaway as the White Queen (pictured), and Helena Bonham-Carter as the Red Queen, USA Today has some panoramic concept art from the film which will combine live-action and stop-motion and CG animation, and eventually be transferred to 3-D. (It's set to premiere March 5 next year.) What do you think — is it living up to your expectations? Or does it remind you a bit too much of Burton's candy-colored wonderland from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory?

Jun 22 2009 05:39 PM ET

New 'Inglourious Basterds' trailer, same Holocaustsploitation

Hey, yet another trailer for Inglourious Basterds.

Snaps for the additional Diane Kruger footage, but un-snaps for the repeated Eli-Roth-with-a-bat action. We get it! It's violent.

I can probably get excited for maybe one more Inglourious Basterds trailer, but after that, my enthusiasm is really going to wane.

What about you, PopWatchers? How often do you like new footage of Brad Pitt saying "Naaaht-zee"?

Jun 22 2009 04:03 PM ET

Elsewhere on EW.com...

Perez Hilton vs. will.i.am. Fight!

The Proposal topped the box office this weekend. Year One finished fourth.

Rhianna is prepared to take the stand today to testify at Chris Brown's preliminary hearing.

EW exclusive: Sugarland will have a one-hour special on ABC in August.

Michael Ausiello reports that Scrubs is heading back to (med) school next season.

Ken Tucker's getting sucked in by True Blood.

We're counting down the 100 greatest summer songs

Rachel Zoe shares her Must List for summer fashion. I die.

Jun 22 2009 03:31 PM ET

'Twilight' and 'Buffy': Together at last!

Dear Internet,

We love this delightful vampire vs. slayer mash-up with Edward Cullen and Buffy Summers, but we have to ask: What took so long?

Love,
PopWatch

Jun 22 2009 03:21 PM ET

Lindsay Lohan finally finds a project no one can fault

Ryan-Seacrest-Lindsay-Lohan_l God knows Lindsay Lohan has been struggling for some time to do anything right. There was that unfortunate the-recession-really-is-bad Fornarina ad. Plus her most recent movie project, Labor Pains, going straight to cable. And there's the apparently crippling boredom that led her to post topless photos of herself on Twitter. But she's finally stumbled upon a project no one can argue with — not without feeling like a jerk, anyway. She and Ryan Seacrest are both saying on Twitter that they're working on a TV project together: a reality show that would give a contestant $1 million to turn his or her life around. Seacrest writes, "Met with Lindsay last night about a show idea I have for her… it helps people and gives others a second shot! Still putting it all together." And Lohan says, "Working on a really great project for television — I am excited! Something meaningful like (reality TV show) Extreme Home Makeover on ABC… :) " TMZ says she'd sit on the judging panel to determine who deserves the second chance — which seems, well, kind-of like her greatest expertise. Maybe a reality show isn't the best message to send about her career, but if she's already at low-budget-ad-campaign/TV movie/topless photo level, you can't argue with some good-deed-doing.

What do you think, PopWatchers? Could this be a good starting-comeback vehicle for Lindsay? Or should she compete for the prize herself?

Jun 22 2009 03:11 PM ET

'Footloose' with Chace Crawford and Julianne Hough: Why is this so darn appealing?

Julianne-Hough_l Looks like Dancing With the Stars' Julianne Hough will be starring opposite Gossip Girl's Chace Crawford in the much-discussed Footloose remake — and I'm a little shocked by how happy this makes me. I'm a huge fan of the original Kevin Bacon flick (like any normal person who came of age in the '80s) and bristled when I talk of a redo first began. It could still go moderately to horribly wrong, of course, as things can when Hollywood tries to "modernize" a guilty-pleasure classic. (See: Love Don't Cost a Thing for "moderately," Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights for "horribly.") Part of the magic of the original was discovering the ridiculously satisfying plot, catchy songs, and cheesy warehouse dance sequences for the first time. And I have concerns about the two freakishly cute leads looking more like they belong on top of a wedding cake together than tussling with local officials in a backwoods town over dancing restrictions.

Still, after some deep contemplation, I say put me down for Team Hough (not to mention Team Crawford): We may not know yet if she can act, but I doubt this will require too much of a stretch. Hough's normal disposition seems a bit sunnier than Lori Singer's sulky pastor's daughter in the original, but I can see her as a wild-child, small-town girl. (Maybe it's that country-music career.) Plus we know from DWTS that she's almost unbearably watchable onscreen — oh, right, and she can really, really dance, which is more than we can say for, um, any of the main characters in the original. (Sorry, that wasn't Kevin Bacon doing those crazy flips.) Depending on Crawford's abilities — which we don't really know yet — this new version could be more musically and visually spectacular than the original, which could make up for any other shortcomings. But I still demand a climactic town council speech quoting from the Bible. And a prom scene with powder-blue tuxes.

What do you think, PopWatchers? Is Julianne Hough the new Lori Singer? Or better?

Jun 22 2009 02:56 PM ET

Susan Boyle gets a standing ovation after her concert return in London

Susan Boyle returned to that blazing hot spotlight yesterday when she performed at two shows in London's Wembley Arena for the Britain's Got Talent tour. Boyle had previously missed several shows and had been hospitalized for exhaustion immediately following the competition's finale. People.com reports that Boyle received standing-O's for her showstoppers "I Dreamed a Dream" and "Memory", and if the videos are any indication, her voice (if not her dress) was in fine form.

I have to confess I was getting a little weary of all the Boyle drama. My brain tends to shut down whenever I hear any celebrity — or more likely, celebrity's rep — citing exhaustion. (Yes, celebrity, it is so exhausting to be you!) Incredibly, though, it was Simon Cowell who re-ignited my sympathy for her. I read his piece in the Daily Mail this weekend in which he addressed several controversies, including Boyle's post-show breakdown, and admitted, "Looking back on it all, it has become clear to me that we didn't handle the situation with Susan as well as we could have." I thought he was characteristically blunt about the pressures of sudden fame and his own responsibilities for Boyle's welfare. It forced me to recall that for as much as we've come to view her as just another flash-in-the-pan famous person, not too long ago she was an average lady with a quiet life who was not at all prepared for a global media frenzy.

What do you think? Are you ready to give Boyle's return a standing ovation, too? Or are you just about ready to stop paying attention?

Jun 22 2009 02:01 PM ET

'True Blood' recap: More complexity, less clothing (thank you)

Trueblood-shirtless-guy_lAfter the heaving sigh of relief that was last week's season premiere of True Blood (Lafayette lives! Thanks Alan Ball!), the second episode of the HBO drama's sophomore season brought a little more complication, a little less clothing, and a lot more guts 'n' blood than I ever really wanted to see. With Sookie and Bill helping Jessica acclimate to her new vampire life, Jason integrating himself into the Fellowship of the Sun, Tara continuing to delude herself into thinking the mysterious Maryann is helping her out of the goodness of her heart, and Lafayette begging for his life, the season's off to a much faster start than last year's slow-building mystery.

Last week, Sookie forgave Bill for turning Jessica into a vampire. This week, Sookie struggled with her feelings of guilt about the whole situation (Jessica's creation being a punishment for Bill defending Sookie's honor, after all), and tried to get Bill to treat the new vampire with a little more sensitivity. Sookie asked Bill, ''Parts of your former self are still in there, right? I wouldn't be with you if they weren't.'' Bill's response was brusque and blunt: ''When a vampire is as new as Jessica is, she has no humanity.'' Still, Sookie was suckered into taking Jessica to visit her family, which culminated in a fang-bearing standoff at Jessica's parents' house (more on that next week).

Meanwhile, the dim-but-lovable Jason happily settled into his born-again life, joining in bus ride sing-alongs and capture the flag games (wait, is this a church leadership seminar or summer camp?), and unknowingly striking up a rivalry with his bunkmate, the Lukeinator. I can't decide which part of Jason's storyline mesmerizes me the most: Ryan Kwanten's magnificent shirtless torso, or the Pantene commercial-volume and bounciness of the female Fellowship campers leaders' hair.

READ FULL STORY »

Jun 22 2009 02:00 PM ET

Quote of the Day: 'It Happened One Night' Edition

“You’ve given me a very good example of the hiking. Where does the hitching come in?” — Ellen Andrews (Claudette Colbert) complaining to Peter Warne (Clark Gable) about his unsuccessful attempt to hitch them a ride in It Happened One Night

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