Archive: July 2009 (221-230 of 444)

Jul 19 2009 05:48 PM ET

Susan Boyle's 'Today' interview preview: What, no tears?

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It was revealed Friday that an interview with SuBo — that's Britain's Got Talent phenom Susan Boyle — will air on Wednesday morning's Today show and that evening's episode of America's Got Talent, marking the first time since the end of BGT that the British singer will speak publicly about her meteoric rise to fame and the breakdown she experienced afterward. NBC has released a very short preview of Boyle's sit-down with Meredith Viera that you can watch here:

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Honestly, this doesn't entice me that much, and I've been rather intrigued by Boyle's whole story since it began unfolding back in April. For one, as far as I can tell from this rather paltry clip, SuBo seems fine. Not that I was expecting her to be some sort of mess, but shouldn't there be a tear or two after all she's gone through? A wobbly voice? Apprehension? Some admission of the mess of it all maybe? It's hard for me to believe that if Boyle had gotten emotional and broken down a bit in this interview with Viera that NBC wouldn't have teased at least some of that in this video. Maybe they didn't want to exploit her? C'mon, though, that's what Susan Boyle's entire "career" has been about — exploitation. Mostly by the producers of Britain's Got Talent, who used her story to pimp out the show majorly.

As far as Boyle's "slight makeover," it's not that far beyond what she did in the second round of Britain's Got Talent when she sang "Memory" from Cats. A trim, a bottle of hair dye, and some better clothes can do wonders for a person who did nothing before. But she does look nice — and happy. That's good, right? We should be happy that Susan looks good and healthy, yes? I'm evil for suggesting she squeeze out a few tears, right?

What do you think, PopWatchers? What'd you think of the preview? Are you going to watch the Boyle interviews on Wednesday? Do you even care about her anymore?

More on Susan Boyle from EW:
Susan Boyle: America, what's your problem?
Susan Boyle interview: 'I'm happy the way I am: short and plump'
'Britain's Got Talent' breakout Susan Boyle: Why we watch…and weep
Here's Susan Boyle' competition…and he's 12-year-old Shaheen Jafargholi
Susan Boyle: 14 Candid Photos
Piers Morgan on Susan Boyle: 'She can do whatever she wants now'
Susan Boyle: What's the big deal?
Susan Boyle on 'Larry King Live': Did you watch?
5 reasons why Susan Boyle is different from your usual overnight sensation
Susan Boyle's 'Britain's Got Talent' audition gives Simon his second spontaneous 'O' of the week
Simon Cowell: 'Distractions' could doom Susan Boyle
Susan Boyle's 1995 audition: Insulting, degrading…and fairly standard reality TV

Jul 19 2009 04:17 PM ET

The ESPY Awards: We live blogged it!

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Update: Did you miss our live blog of the ESPY Awards? Scroll down and click “Play” to relive every thrilling moment along with Henning and Richard. (Be warned, West Coast readers: Spoilers abound!) For the rest of you, what did you think of the show? Let us know in the comments section below.

Join us at 9 p.m. EDT this Sunday for our live blog of ESPN’s annual sports awards show. Your master of ceremonies, EW’s Henning Fog, will be joined by special guest Richard Deitsch of Sports Illustrated.

This year’s nominees include Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Michael Phelps (Best Male Athlete), and Serena Williams (Best Female Athlete). The show taped earlier this week, but we hear it’s full of surprises (nothing like some technical glitches to liven up an awards broadcast!).

For a reminder, enter your e-mail into the widget below. See you on Sunday!

Jul 18 2009 09:31 PM ET

Paul McCartney plays Citi Field: He's still got it

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Last night, Paul McCartney hit the New York Mets' Citi Field and jammed for two hours, becoming the first musical act to play at the brand-new stadium. When he played at the Mets' former home, Shea Stadium, in 1965, he also similarly helped christen that ballpark for rock concerts as a frenzy of teens went wild for the Beatles.

Amongst his 30-song set last night was everything from recent work (like "Sing The Changes") to Beatles masterpieces. And, from this video below and reports from some of the 55,000 who attended the rain-soaked show, the legend's rendition of Fab Four hit "Let it Be" was more than memorable. Enjoy it here:

I never tire of that song. What do you think, PopWatchers? Does Paul still have it? Was he an appropriate inaugural musical act for Citi Field? Were you there?

More on Paul McCartney:
Paul McCartney denies Michael Jackson Beatles rights rumors
Paul McCartney: Q&A
Hanging out with Paul McCartney: Pretty Awesome

Jul 18 2009 05:43 PM ET

'Wizards on Deck with Hannah Montana': I can't believe this, but I just watched that

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Filed under: Television, Those Crazy Kids! and tagged: , , , ,

I just caught the Disney Channel's Wizards on Deck with Hannah Montana, having never seen a full episode of The Wizards of Waverly Place, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, or Hannah Montana. Friday's premiere was a 90-minute "crossover event" with all of the characters interacting! It was like the shows were braided together. Or fishtailed! But no, because fishtails only require two pieces of hair and there were three elements of this important television event. Below, an appropriately Tiger Beat-sponsored sample. Justin "blue-ing himself" in the hot tub: a latent Arrested Development reference? Ha, as if.

Honestly, it was kind of fun and endlessly enlightening, on a professional level, to zone out to this tripe for 90 minutes as I lazily trolled the Internet for weird pictures of food. I finally got to hear "Pwned" used in a sentence. I began to understand the appeal of Selena Gomez. I took in about 17 long-ass promos for what will surely be the greatest 3-D movie about gerbils, G-Force, during which Tracy Morgan impersonated the most sedated mad scientist in history. The viewing experience reminded me of when I used to eagerly sit through the full lineup of ABC's "TGIF" in the early '90s — I didn't (couldn't!) realize at the time how mediocre the canned-laughter comedy was, because it truly did seem fun. Like our moms and aunts with their soap operas, these were "our stories"; I loved the routine of it all. Who would host the cool-girl sleepover at her house that Friday so that we could belt out the Six Flags-set opening credits to Step By Step in not-exactly unison? (Usually me: I knew how to make smoothies!) So I don't begrudge die-hard fans of Wizards on Deck with Hannah Montana. I get it. I mean, the adult in me wants to say what Hannah apparently says every 10 seconds…"Come on!" [Exaggerated eye roll! Seriously, does she need to make an "I'm so zany" face after every utterance?] But at the same time, I can see a younger version of myself TOTALLY LOVING THIS.

So listen up, kids and parents. I see you on Twitter, flipping out about how you missed the show. You didn't! Wizards on Deck airs again tonight at 7 ET and Sunday at 5, and a lot more times after that. You don't have to miss out on a Paris Hilton knockoff named London Tipton, or the visual feast of Billy Ray Cyurs splayed out on a cruise ship bed looking like three miles of bad road. (I know he was supposed to be seasick, but the guy looked and sounded wasted the entire time and I just wanted him to grab a lukewarm cheeseburger, wave it around, and complete the transition to David Hasselhoff already.)

Are you on board, or are you on bored? If you can tolerate that sentence, I believe it is the former. Ahoy.

Follow us at @EWPopWatch, @EWMichaelSlezak, @EWAnnieBarrett, @EWMandiBierly, @EWAusielloFiles, @marcbernardin, and @davekarger.

Jul 18 2009 04:44 PM ET

2009 Emmy Nominations: Which is your favorite, and why?

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Vanessa-Williams_l I've had 48 hours to recover from the pain of the Umpteenth Annual Emmy Nomination Snubs — no room at the table for Lost's Elizabeth Mitchell? Seriously? — and now I'm attempting to do the glass-half-full dance. (Sounds like something Mia Michaels might cook up for a future episode of So You Think You Can Dance, no?) In that spirit, today, let's talk about the 2009 Emmy nomination that made you happiest, and more importantly, why. (We'll collect the best answers for an EW.com gallery later this week.) For me, predictably, it's Vanessa L. Williams' nod for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy for her portrayal of Wilhelmina Slater in Ugly Betty. I'm not sure if there's an actress on TV today (or in the history of ever) who can so consistently (and effortlessly) escalate her punch lines to legendary territory. (After the jump, check out last season's "Put on your game face! Not your gay face, your game face.") Oh, and Williams' patented delighted/bitchy eyebrow raise is as vital a part of the current TV landscape as the Lost flashback, Ina Garten's use of butter, and the DVR.

Your turn. Which 2009 Emmy nomination made you happiest? Give us your pick and explain yourself in the comments section below!

More on Emmys:
2009 Emmy nominations: Who got snubbed?
A fitting tribute: 'Farrah's Story' nominated for Emmy
Cat Deeley's Emmy snub: Quel Horreur!
EW's full rundown of the 2009 Emmy nominees
Ken Tucker reacts to the 2009 nominees!
Michael Ausiello's Snappy Judgments: 2009 Emmy Nominations!
EW.com counts down the 25 Biggest Snubs in Emmy History
Our friends at Life.com present a countdown of huge TV stars who (shockingly) never won an Emmy

READ FULL STORY »

Jul 17 2009 11:44 PM ET

Enter the Fray: Pop-culture duels dominate the week

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Harpers-Island-Harrison_l Harry vs. Edward, Bill vs. Eric, Emmy vs. actor, Bachelorette hopeful vs. …other Bachelorette hopeful: Competition heated up PopWatch this week. Between Harry Potter's release, the Emmy Award nominations, and the latest elimination on ABC's The Bachelorette, the pop-culture faceoffs were both numerous and discussion-worthy.

10. Apparently the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences didn't take our suggestions for best lead drama actor Emmy nominees when they announced the list on Thursday.

9. Two men are left vying for the affection of The Bachelorette, but the real drama's going down in EW.com's highly disturbing and entertaining series, The Doll Bachelorette.

8. CBS's murder-mystery Harper's Island ended last weekend, but hopefully we'll see much more from the cast in the future.

7. Missy Schwartz is trapped in a sad vortex of Michael Jackson nostalgia, and she's ready to snap out of it.

6. Must List Live! asked the pressing question: Who's the hotter True Blood vampire, Bill or Eric?

5. I didn't find too much to complain about during my bleary-eyed midnight showing of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, but you vented your frustration about significant book-to-film changes here.

4. Margaret Lyons asked: Who's more popular: Harry, Ron, and Hermione, or Bella and Edward? According to a recent comparison, the Hogwarts kids have the edge — except in soundtrack sales, where the folk of Forks, Wash., have them beat.

3. E-Day has come and gone: the list of nominees for the 61st Emmy Awards was announced on Thursday, and you booed the most egregious snubs and cheered the most worthy nominees.

2. We finally found out who was the killer in the last installment of Harper's Island. Not to brag, but I totally called it in episode 1.

1. Chris Harrison reigns supreme once more with his latest Bachelorette blog.

Jul 17 2009 11:34 PM ET

'The Hobbit': Who should play Bilbo Baggins?

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Filed under: Movies and tagged: , , ,

Hobbit-Bilbo-Radcliffe_l Casting rumors for The Hobbit — oh my! There has been next to no news about Guillermo del Toro's massive two-film project of late, so I will take whatever I can get, even if it's just a rumor. According to the Los Angeles Times, word on the geek street is that the actor portraying Bilbo Baggins may be announced at Comic-Con next week, and three names are in the air (pictured, from left to right): James McAvoy, Daniel Radcliffe, and David Tennant. Let's take a closer look at these choices.

Tennant, 38, is a Scottish actor best known for starring as The Doctor in the current incarnation of the BBC show Doctor Who. McAvoy, 30, is also Scottish and has displayed impressive range by tackling everything from Mr. Tumnus, the gentle faun in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, to the ultraviolent assassin Wesley Gibson in last year's Wanted. And 19-year-old Radcliffe — well, you know him.

These are all surprisingly young choices for a character that's supposed to be 50 years old. (Although that's in hobbit years. So maybe 50 is the equivalent of 30 in human years? Any Tolkien experts want to clarify?) Tennant has an advantage in being the oldest of the three candidates, but he's also the tallest at 6'1". Obviously, trick photography and digital manipulation could shrink his stature to hobbit size, but Del Toro may save himself a lot of grief by simply choosing a shorter star. Radcliffe is listed as 5'6" — having met the actor, that may even be an inch too generous — so he's closer to the right height. But although Radcliffe turns 20 later this July, he's still too young in my mind. More problematic is the concern that many moviegoers won't be able to shake off the idea that Radcliffe is, and always will be, Harry Potter.

That leaves us with McAvoy, who's 5'7", older than Radcliffe, and a splendid actor to boot (he deserved an Oscar nomination for holding his own against Forest Whitaker in The Last King of Scotland). But what do you think, PopWatchers? Put on your casting hats and tell us who should be selected for the role of Bilbo Baggins:

Jul 17 2009 09:50 PM ET

Must List Live!: 'Big Brother 11' evictee Braden talks about his departure and the racism charges

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Braden Bacha, the 28-year-old surfer, was the first person to be evicted from the Big Brother 11 house. But he didn't go out as the traditional innocuous sacrificial lamb #1: Braden got the boot under a hail of accusations of racism (borne out on YouTube clips) and a hell-raising, franker-than-frank speech by Chima. Must List Live!’s crack Big Brother reporter Lynette Rice stopped by CBS to ask the Nicolas Cage lookalike just what the hell was going on in that house, and what the hell was going on in his head when he called Kevin the infamous ethnic slur.

More Big Brother 11 from EW:
Julie Chen blogs Big Brother: Season 11's first elimination
Big Brother recap: The dramatic first eviction

Jul 17 2009 09:48 PM ET

Waste time (and blow your own mind) by staring at this spiral!

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Discover-Magazine_l You're probably thinking, "What's the big deal? It's not like the spiral is spinning. It's not 3-D. I don't see Mother Teresa's face jumping out at me." True. But there's something you might not realize. See the blue spiral? And the green one? THEY'RE THE SAME COLOR.

Go ahead, take a look.

Still don't believe me? Check out this post over at Discover Magazine, which explains how the mind interprets colors based on surrounding hues. Then grab a Kleenex and wipe your brain off the walls.

Jul 17 2009 09:08 PM ET

'Harry Potter' and the 'Half-Blood Prince' romance debate: A battle of the sexes?

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Filed under: Movies and tagged: , ,

Is there too much time spent on young love in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince? That’s something we’ve discussed before, but now Entertainment Weekly‘s film critics, Lisa Schwarzbaum and Owen Gleiberman, have weighed in. Watch their chat below, and you find out that Owen, who still ranks the film among the Harry Potter series best, believes the hormones hurt the movie. “The actors are appealing, but I think it really bogs the movie down because all the little romantic plots, and seeing these characters develop crushes, isn’t really wound into the story. It’s just kind of there.” Lisa counters: “But it makes you feel that they are people that you could really understand. That actually inside, internally, there’s a magic going on in a teenager’s life, which, to each teenager, is almost as big as dealing with good and evil.”

It’s been jokingly suggested that women will like Half-Blood Prince more than men. Does it come down to a gender issue when you’re talking romance at Hogwarts? Let’s find out. Vote in the EW.com poll below.

More ‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’:
‘Harry Potter’ geeks: Vent your frustrations about the movie changes here!
Read Lisa Schwarzbaum’s full review
Dalton Ross and Josh Wolk talk ‘Half-Blood Prince’ romance on Must List Live!
‘Half-Blood Prince’: 8 exclusive pics from EW’s photo shoot

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