Archive: June 2009 (141-150 of 438)

Jun 19 2009 03:24 PM ET

'Mr. Troop Mom' revamps 'Troop Beverly Hills'

I suppose we should give the George Lopez TV movie Mr. Troop Mom (premiering tonight at 8 ET on Nickelodeon) a free pass for completely ripping off the inimitable 1990 Shelley Long literally-camp classic Troop Beverly Hills. But only because it's Father's Day weekend. Trailer below.

I'm guessing the target demo will never have heard of Troop Beverly Hills, so even pointing out the striking similarities between the two may be pointless. Still: Jane Lynch's hardass khaki enthusiast = TBH's Velda Plendor, who never met a skunk she didn't want to immediately turn into a hat. George Lopez wears an argyle sweater vest in the mountains; Phyllis Neffler (Long) has a designer transform her Wilderness Girls uni into a "complete look" featuring a silk beige cape. Also, this thing looks like that thing, and don't even get me started on the identical "newly brave parent steps out on a precarious log" climax. Sadly, I see no Craig T. Nelson in the Mr. Troop Mom trailer. He better swoop in to save the day if George Lopez would like to eat a pickle is all I'm sayin'.

This all makes me a bit sad, but that's not to say there isn't room for both. Seriously — parents! — if your tweens enjoy Mr. Troop Mom, go out and rent them Troop Beverly Hills. Am I wrong, P-Dubs? Does TBH hold up today?

Related: Quote of the Day: 'It's Cookie Time' Edition


Jun 19 2009 01:59 PM ET

'SYTYCD': Are Kayla's grandparents the new Anoop's parents?

Kayla_anoop_family Better watch your back, Kayla's adorable grandpa (who is clearly Cat Deeley's, the judges', the producers', and my own favorite person of the season so far). Mr. Desai says "It's a no"!

For more SYTYCD, read today's elimination recap and don't forget to sign up to make your picks in EW.com's Prediciton Challenge!

Related: 'Idol': How much do we love Anoop's parents?

Jun 19 2009 12:00 PM ET
Jun 19 2009 10:00 AM ET

Quote of the Day: 'The Mikado' edition

"Three little maids from school are we / Pert as a school girl well can be / Filled to the brim with girlish glee / Three little maids from school." — "Three Little Maids From School," Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado

Jun 19 2009 03:00 AM ET

Adam Lambert and Madonna: Please work together now. Thanks.

Madonna-lambert_l When I read in Rolling Stone's Adam Lambert cover story that the American Idol runner-up was starstruck during a recent meeting with Madonna, my first reaction was "Awww, that's sweet." But the more I think about it, the more the Idol-obsessed voices in my head are howling: "Starstruck? Bah! These two ought to be working together!"

Think about it: Earlier this week, it was reported that Adam had logged studio time with Lady Gaga producer RedOne, so despite his rocker tendencies, the Idol runner-up is clearly not afraid of getting his dance on. And now, if you will, let your mind travel back to Madonna's seminal 1998 Ray of Light CD — yes, we are all that old — an electronica extravaganza that still managed to keep a foot in the guitar-rock genre. Suddenly, I'm thinking Adam and Madge could team up for a cover of "Candy Perfume Girl" or "Drowned World/Substitute for Love," or best of all "Swim" (embedded after the jump for the uninitiated).

Not only would the hookup make sense musically, but it would also be a smart career move. For Adam, a Madonna duet would give him instant credibility outside the Idol universe — something he'll need to break through the anti-Idol prejudice held by many a radio-station programmer. For Madonna, being the first superstar artist to hit the studio with Adam would attach her to a young, exciting artist without the appearance that she's suddenly become a follower instead of a leader (a problem that gave "Me Against the Music" and "4 Minutes to Save the World" a slight whiff of desperation). Plus, girlfriend could use some fresh gay-cred points, no?

What do you think? Would an Adam-Madonna collaboration be a match made in musical heaven, or an aural abomination? And which artist would benefit more from a duet?

READ FULL STORY »

Jun 18 2009 09:54 PM ET

Is HBO's 'Bored to Death' the hipster version of 'Castle'?

While watching the brief, 40-second teaser for HBO's new half-hour crime-comedy Bored to Death, I got the vague impression of deja vu. Wes Anderson troupe member Jason Schwartzman plays a struggling Brooklyn writer who uses his detective-novel book smarts to become a private detective. Hmm…that sounds pretty reminiscent of Nathan Fillion's character on Castle, right?

Similarities aside, I'd say Bored to Death looks like the most promising HBO show in ages. (Showtime has steadily been trumping the network in both comedies and drama.) I like the show's retro look and sardonic tone, and I love that Zach Galifianakis will play Schwartzman's wingman. How awesome is it that the offbeat comic is finally breaking out in a major way this year? (Answer: Very.) Let's hope the bearded fellow can replicate his Hangover success and steal every scene in Bored to Death too. And if Schwartzman and Galifianakis aren't enough to sell you, Parker Posey, Ted Danson and Kristen Wiig (!) are all set to appear on the series as well. Watch the teaser below and tell us: Will you watch Bored to Death when it debuts in September? And does the show look like a trendier-version of Castle to you, too?

Jun 18 2009 09:05 PM ET

New 'Fame' trailer threatens supremacy of 'Center Stage'

A new Fame theatrical trailer debuted today, and we had to wait less than 20 seconds for a jazz hands joke. YES! So many questions: Whose speeches will be more inspiring, Kelsey Grammer's or Charles S. Dutton's? How do we get that more-dramatic-than-a-Baz-Luhrmann-film stage lighting into our daily lives (or, at least, Annie's office)? And which scene will make this replace Center Stage as our favorite dance film starring at least one performer gifted in every discipline but acting?I cannot wait for the answers. I haven't been this excited to hear "Fame" since the end of The Hangover. I am, however, a little nervous because both my Center Stage and Step Up partners are now living on the opposite coast. You have to be very careful who you take with you to see a movie like this: There must be genuine enjoyment in the seats and dancing in line at the ladies' room afterward. Do you have your Fame date already picked?

Jun 18 2009 08:22 PM ET

The new '2012' trailer will make you cry tears of fire and carnage

Dearest Michael Bay: I have seen many of your films and have enjoyed them greatly. Explosions, car crashes, shoot outs, giant metal things fighting other giant metal things: these are the things the modern action film are made of. As such, I love them all like tiny, violent children. I haven't seen Transformers: Revenge of Robo-destructo-porn yet, but I expect it to live up to the title.

However, there is a movie coming out later this year that threatens to make your films look like a Fancy Feast commercial. I speak of Roland Emmerich's 2012.

Judging by this trailer, 2012 is nothing but scorched earth, giant waves, and John Cusack and Chewitel Ejiofor getting paid. Wanton crap-exploding for two whole hours. And that last shot, with the U.S.S. John F. Kennedy crushing the White House?

Michael Bay, you just got served.

Love,
Marc Bernardin

P.S. My best to your awesome kitty.

Seriously, is that not the craziest trailer you've ever seen? My gods, it's full of everything…on fire!

Jun 18 2009 08:01 PM ET

Lauren Conrad says Spencer's sex tape apology was staged... NO!

Thank you, MTV, for shattering my faith in reality (television). While promoting her new book, L.A. Candy, former Hills star Lauren Conrad visited The View – and revealed the truth behind Spencer's on-screen apology for that whole sex-tape-rumor situation. When Elisabeth Hasselback asked the aspiring novelist whether she thought Mr. Pratt's mea culpa was sincere, Conrad responded: "Umm… I mean…" (Spit it out, girl!) "To be perfectly honest, I wasn't on the other line of that call… So no, I didn't get an apology." Lauren went on to explain that she went to the unholy Speidi wedding because "I might some day regret not doing it." I can't tell you how shocked — shocked! — we here at EW are to learn that The Hills might take creative license with… Oh, forget it. I can't even muster up enough energy to finish that sentence.

More on 'The Hills': Exclusive interview: 'Laguna Beach' star Kristin Cavallari on joining 'The Hills'

Jun 18 2009 07:58 PM ET

Robert Pattinson fans, please step away from Robert Pattinson!

Robert-pattinson_l Robert Pattinson was grazed by a cab today in New York City, as his bodyguards maneuvered him quickly across a street to avoid a crowd of fans, RadarOnline reports. One of the site’s staffers witnessed the incident, which left Pattinson momentarily stunned but unharmed. One of his security team allegedly yelled “You see what you did, you almost killed him!” to the crowd, but we’ll have to wait until the footage shows up on YouTube to confirm that.

Here’s what I don’t get: Presumably, the fans that feel passionately enough about Pattinson to tail him as he shoots Remember Me in Manhattan, would also have read his GQ cover story, in which he said his first thought when he sees a crowd is someone could very easily stab me. Why would you want to be one of the people who scares him? Or is that just the out-of-touch reasoning of a woman who shadowed her first and last celebrity in 1996? (For the record: I stayed on the opposite sidewalk of Alan Rickman as I followed him to a 7-Eleven in London. I did not go in after him in or wait for him to exit. Me and the detergent I was carrying continued on our way to the laundromat.)

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