Archive: July 2009 (291-300 of 444)

Jul 14 2009 07:10 PM ET

'Twilight Saga: New Moon': Let's see the Volturi already!

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Christopher-Heyerdahl_l Just reading this Sci Fi Wire interview with Christopher Heyerdahl, who'll play Volturi member Marcus in The Twilight Saga: New Moon, and I realized my patience for seeing an official image of that coven is wearing increasingly thin. "Everyone looks gorgeous and deliciously lifeless," Heyerdahl says. Release the Volturi tease now, Summit! (Or, at least at Comic-Con.)

As for Heyerdahl (Supernatural, Sanctuary, Stargate: Atlantis), I like where his head is at for his role:

"Here's how I approach him. When Marcus is brought in, he's there against his will. He and his love tried to leave an awfully long time ago. Through a series of tragic circumstances, the love of his life was killed, and he's now being forced to stay and use his powers for the betterment of the Volturi. He's not exactly there, waking up and looking forward to eternity. When Edward and Bella come walking in, his ability to sense the power of their connection is something that wakes him up, brings him back from the boredom of that eternal life and sparks something in him that brings Marcus as close to excitement as he can get. That idea has to be contained and expressed as little as possible to his rather power-hungry captain-in-arms, Aro, which makes for a rather interesting conflict. You might not know it, but Marcus is pretty darn excited by this love that he witnesses. At the same time, it causes him great pain with the memory of what he had and lost. It was very complex to play, especially when you are doing it with so few lines. It will be interesting to see how it is cut together."

What do you think of Heyedahl's take? And more importantly, are you ready to see an official Volturi image already?

For more impatient Twilight Saga: New Moon coverage, head to EW's Twilight HQ.

Jul 14 2009 07:03 PM ET

New 'Mad Men' poster floods us with excitement

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Mad-men-poster Just when I thought I couldn't be more stoked for the Mad Men season two DVDs, AMC goes and releases a mysterious — and duh, dead sexy — poster for season three. You win again, Draper!

There's our beloved, complicated Don, casually smoking a cigarette as the flood waters rise. And, in a Mad Men first, that's not a metaphor. Upon extreme close-up (enhance!), he's also almost scowling, with just the slightest squint. Aw, cheer up, Don — except don't, actually, because your inability to experience joy is sort of a calling card of this series. The poster reminds me a little of Gregory Crewdson's "Twilight" photos, a combination of doom and desire, both evocative and unsettling. If that's not a spot-on description of Don Draper, what is?

I like this poster a whole lot, PopWatchers, and I cannot wait Aug. 16. Are you with me, Sterling Cooper fans, or are you less-than-mad about this?

More 'Mad Men':
Ken Tucker: 'Mad Men' second-season DVD is out today: Don Draper reads poetry, but he's no wimp
What longer 'Mad Men' episodes mean: More ads, preserved creativity!
Jon Hamm: Refusal to switch month on calendar enters 'ridiculous' territory


Jul 14 2009 06:16 PM ET

Joan Rivers roast sets lineup: This is gonna get ugly

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Joan-Rivers_lGet ready for some Nip/Tuck punchlines, folks. The line-up of tormentors has just been announced for Comedy Central's Roast of Joan Rivers. The legendary comedienne/Apprentice champ/plastic surgery cautionary tale will take her turn on the dais when the show airs on Aug. 9 at 10 p.m. ET., and we have a feeling that the prick of a Botox needle will probably seem painless compared to the delightfully filthy barbs administered by Roast Master (Roast Mistress?) Kathy Griffin. 

Joining Griffin in the dirty-joke dogpile are: Everybody Loves Raymond/'Til Death's Brad Garrett, old-school icon Carl Reiner, and nervous nebbish Gilbert Gottfried, as well as Jeffrey Ross, Lily Tomlin, Mario Cantone, and Richard Belzer. In other words, it's gonna get messy. Judging from the networks' past roasts, the evening should be heavy on extended, multi-second bleeps. These folks like to work blue. And they'll no doubt be at their bluest teeing off on Rivers — a dame who's always been a master (mistress) of the ruthless put-down. 

So which one of these roasters will land the best — by which we meanest — plastic surgery joke? And where the heck is Lisa Lampanelli? 

Jul 14 2009 06:15 PM ET

Which series deserve Emmy nods for Best Comedy? ('Two and a Half Men'? Nah.)

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Emmy-comedy_l Emmy nominations come out in less than 48 hours, but before I begin an afternoon-long chanting session on behalf of Vanessa (L. Yeah!) Williams in the Supporting Actress division, I thought it was high time to dish the Best Comedy Series category.Yeah, I know, we should probably prepare ourselves for the standard operating lineup of Entourage and Two and a Half Men, as well as (deservedly) 30 Rock and The Office. But I've also got to believe that with the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences expanding its nominations lists from five to six contenders this year, there has to be room for at least one fresh program. With that in mind, here are my longshot candidates:

Better Off Ted:Try as I might, I can't convince any of my friends or family members to tune into ABC's delightfully warped workplace comedy.Is it the title? Is the fact that ABC's decision to run fresh summer episodes feels more like burn-off than hot stuff?All I can say is that an Emmy nod might help folks get hip to a crisply written show featuring creepy corporate-advertising parodies, guffaw-worthy science-based punch-lines, and hilarious turns by Portia de Rossi as an icy boss-lady and Jay Harrington as a genial middle manager.

Ugly Betty:The candy-colored fashionista fantasy may have slipped in the ratings this year, but not in terms of artistic merit. Betty's got the best ensemble cast in prime-time, dressed in the best costumes on television, delivering the kinds of bitchy one-liners that translate beautifully into everyday conversation. "What is with white people and Taye Diggs?" Holla!

Okay, those are my picks. Which series are you hoping will score some love from Emmy come Thursday morning? List your faves (and your reasons why) below. And remember: Thursday's Emmy snubs could turn out to be next month's EWwy nominees! (Oh, and hey, follow me on Twitter @EWMichaelSlezak! Fun!)

More on Emmys:
Who deserves an Emmy nod for Supporting Actor/Actress in a Drama? (Fresh faces encouraged!)
Who deserves an Emmy nod for Lead Actor/Actress in a Drama? (Not just the usual suspects!)
Who deserves an Emmy nod for Lead Actor/Actress in a Comedy? (Underdog picks encouraged!)
Who deserves an Emmy nod for Supporting Actor/Actress in a Comedy? (Other than Vanessa L. Williams, naturally)
Dream Emmy Ballot part 5: Best Comedy and Drama Series

addCredit("Ted: Bob D'Amico/ABC; Betty: Andrew Eccles/ABC")

Jul 14 2009 05:21 PM ET

Harry Potter: A high-school movie at heart

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6a00d8341bf6c153ef011570b81c38970c-pi[1] Take your seats, class: We're starting up week 3 of EW University with a weeklong look at the pop culture influences in the Harry Potter films. Check out our gallery Harry Potter: 10 Teen-Movie Parallels or jump ahead and test your Harry Potter knowledge with our final exam. Stick around all summer long for future EW University courses on Lost, Quentin Tarantino, and more.

Harry Potter: Just another teen movie?
There are so many creatures and supernatural goings-on at Hogwarts that it’s sometimes easy to forget that the place is a high school. And it’s also easy to forget that the Harry Potter films, for all their CGI spectacle, also fall squarely in the tradition of teen/high school movies, appropriating many of the same plot devices and tropes. Sure, the big game involves Quidditch instead of football or basketball, and the school dances aren’t be-all-end-all proms ending up in bacchanalian parties at someone’s house. But there are student cliques (Gryffindor vs. Slytherin), favorite teachers (Hagrid, Dumbledore), and much loathed instructors (Snape, Dolores Umbridge).

It’s fascinating to watch how the various directors of the series – sometimes even more so than J.K. Rowling herself — have played with the conventions of high school movies in adapting the books to the screen. Take the Yule Ball in The Goblet of Fire, for instance. We see our main characters waiting too long to ask their first choices to the dance, or being blind to who their first choice should be. (Oh, Ron Weasley, when will you wake up to your feelings for Hermione?) Harry-Potter-Yule-ball_l We then see our heroes stiffing their dates because they’re really hung up on others. We see Ron, the ultimate geeky sidekick, dressed in ridiculously ruffly formal wear. We see supposedly spontaneous but actually elaborately choreographed dance routines (perhaps by magic?). We see the curious heavy metalish band playing guitar licks from the stage. We even see the creepy teacher/chaperone surreptitiously sipping from a flask in the corner of the hall – though in this case it isn't booze, but Polyjuice Potion so that wicked Barty Crouch Jr. can pose as teacher Alastor Moody. In each instance, the films include elements of high school movies that we’ve seen dozens of times but which have been reappropriated to the particulars of the Hogwarts universe.

After the jump: Find out what Harry Potter has in common with Pretty in Pink

READ FULL STORY »

Jul 14 2009 04:39 PM ET

Michael Jackson's 'This Is It' merchandise for sale: How much would you pay?

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MJ-shirt We've already learned, morbidly enough, that Michael Jackson is far more popular — and likely more marketable — dead than alive, thanks to the folks who handily track these sorts of things. Now comes the first test, as merchandise from his never-to-be This Is It tour — which he was rehearsing for just before his death — goes on sale. There are shirts, belt buckles, mugs, barware, and collectors' plates so far, among other items. And while it feels a little ghoulish to me to buy stuff specifically from performances canceled due to his demise, I have to admit it's fairly classy-looking merch, from what I can tell. Certainly better than the shoddy tees street vendors down the block from the EW offices are displaying as we speak, and at least the This Is It items weren't made exclusively to benefit from his death. We're talking in lots of relative shades of grey here.

What do you think, PopWatchers? How much is MJ gear worth to you now? Do you think it'll increase in value over time? Would you want any of it? Or does it creep you out?

Jul 14 2009 04:23 PM ET

Dumbledore actor Michael Gambon hasn't read the 'Harry Potter' books. Discuss.

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Michael-Gambon_l Michael Gambon, who inherited the role of Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore from the late Richard Harris with the third Harry Potter film, has never read any of the J.K Rowling novels. "You'd get upset about all the scenes it's missing from the book, wouldn't you?" he tells the Los Angeles Times' Hero Complex blog, noting that Alan Rickman (Snape) and Ralph Fiennes (Voldemort) have also chosen to rely on their scripts. "No point in reading the books because you're playing with [screenwriter] Steve Kloves' words."

I can understand as actors them wanting to leave themselves a bit of wiggle room when the films are already so faithful to the books. And I have no complaints about their performances (yes, Gambon is a little…gruff compared to Harris, but his Dumbledore has been facing even darker days). Yet, a piece of me would like to know that they — and really, I just mean Gambon, who's embodying the most beloved role after Harry — have turned every page and cried when I cried.

How do you feel about this? Does an actor have to have read the books for you to believe that his role means as much to him as it does to you? Or does the fact that he's actually spent more hours walking in the characters' shoes than it took for you to read all seven novels mean that he wins?

More 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince':
'Harry Potter': Your favorite Daniel Radcliffe talk show appearance?
'Harry Potter' and the 10 Teen-Movie Parallels
'Harry Potter': 8 Exclusive EW Cast Pics!
Sex and the 'Harry Potter' movies: Does anyone want this?
Poll: Will you reread 'Half-Blood Prince' before seeing the film?

Jul 14 2009 03:19 PM ET

L.A. mayor says city should foot the bill for Michael Jackson's memorial service: Is that fair?

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Antonio-Villaraigosa_l Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa seems to have settled the weeks-long debate over whether the cash-strapped city should cover the $1.4 million tab for providing public safety services for Michael Jackson's televised memorial service last week. According to the L.A. Times, Villaraigosa told reporters the city won't try to recoup any of the cost from AEG, the company that owns the Staples Center (where the service was held), and called the donation website set up by his staff "ridiculous." 

Commenters on the Times' blog decried, among other things, the city's perceived "kissing up to the rich and famous." But Villaraigosa's basic message seemed, to me, to be more about pride: It's Los Angeles' job to handle major events just like any other big city, and L.A. doesn't need your charity, thank you very much. He's right; that is what municipalities are for. That said, it doesn't seem like it'd hurt to take donations — or for AEG or a well-heeled Jackson friend or two to go ahead and help the public cover that considerable tab. Many think of Hollywood when they think of Los Angeles, but there are also some pretty seriously downtrodden neighborhoods that will only deteriorate further in light of the city's — and the state's, incidentally — cash flow problems. Desperate times, people.

What do you think, PopWatchers? Should L.A. just suck it up and foot the bill? Should it take donations?

More Michael Jackson memorial service:
Michael Jackson memorial cost L.A. $1.4 million
Will you pony up for Michael Jackson's memorial service?
Michael Jackson memorial: Ken Tucker's review
Michael Jackson memorial: Who was that singing "Heal the World"?
Michael Jackson memorial: Which performance moved you most?

Jul 14 2009 03:01 PM ET

Must List Live!: An exclusive clip from MTV's long-awaited 'The State' DVD

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Have you noticed that the comedy geek in your life has an extra spring in his or her step? It’s because today sees the long-long-awaited DVD release of MTV’s early-90s sketch show, The State. Members of the comedy troupe went on to make some of my favorite comedies: Reno 911!, Wet Hot American Summer, Role Models, Viva Variety, Stella, the new Michael and Michael Have Issues…the list goes on and on. Must List Live! has an exclusive clip from the DVD, so check it out: The mark of a great sketch series is when even the old topical clips hold up, and this one does: It may be a takeoff of Footloose, but the teen-movie cliches it mocks are just mockably delicious today.

Jul 14 2009 02:38 PM ET

Wentworth Miller on 'Law & Order: SVU' -- sneak peek!

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It's never to early to promote your Sept. 23 season premiere. NBC has posted a sneak peek at Wentworth Miller's one-off guest appearance on Law & Order: SVU's season 11 opener. Miller — dubbed the Ultimate Male Hottie by organized Prison Break fans EW.com readers in 2007 – plays Det. Nate Kendal, who saves a rape victim but doesn't want to babysit her afterward. "Sounds like you already boned me with my captain," he says to Cragen, after he's informed that he doesn't have a choice. Charming! While I would selfishly prefer that Wentworth put his velvety voice to use with a character who doesn't appear to be a bit of a douche*, the unsettled feeling I experienced watching the scene probably means it's interesting casting. What do you think?

* Exception: I'm still sad that CBS' Joan of Arcadia got canceled after setting up Miller as pure, delicious evil who knew how to wear a suit in its season 2 finale.

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