Archive: July 2009 (401-410 of 444)

Jul 6 2009 02:39 PM ET

'SNL' nostalgia: Why I'm looking forward to '90s alumni reuniting in 'Grown Ups'

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I’m trying to figure out why I was so psyched to read this morning that Tim Meadows will be co-starring with actors like Adam Sandler, Maya Rudolph, Rob Schneider, David Spade, Chris Rock, Norm Macdonald, and Colin Quinn in a film called Grown Ups. Part of it stems simply from my longstanding feelings regarding Meadows’ under-appreciated comic talents. There’s something special about this particular grouping of Saturday Night Live alumni, though — one that includes minor players like Macdonald and Quinn along with big-name stars. Then it hit me: I am totally nostalgic for the mid-90s years when many of those castmates overlapped on SNL.

It wasn’t the show’s finest era by a long shot. I remember staying up late to watch SNL at the time with my parents, who frequently lamented how far it had fallen from the ’70s and ’80s; they were right. But nevertheless, I spent those years watching Meadows and the rest of the gang most every Saturday night, and now I miss them. Most of all, I miss the way SNL had a full roster of straightmen/women back then to back up its more outsize comic talents. Adam Sandler and Chris Rock were and are hilarious, sure — but they’re so much funnier standing next to a perfectly deadpan Tim Meadows or Norm Macdonald. Not all of the comics who have been cast in Grown Ups are capable of carrying a movie on their own, but put them together and you’re guaranteed some extra laughs just from the reaction shots these old colleagues will give each other.

Check out a vintage clip below to see the kind of understated chemistry I’m talking about between Meadows and (in this case) Christopher Walken. Then tell me: Who else is looking forward to seeing these SNLers play, appropriately enough, a bunch of former high school friends reunited after 30 years apart in Grown Ups?

Jul 6 2009 12:29 PM ET

Perez Hilton: Are you still reading his blog? And if so, are you enjoying it?

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Perez-hilton_l We were doing our hourly gossip-trolling procrastination rounds on the Web,and came upon Perez Hilton’s gallery of white-scrawl-defaced celebrities.Reading through his posts’ comments, we noticed they seemed extra-virulentthese days. Is that our imagination? Or does it reflect the aftereffects of hisBlack Eyed Peas kerfuffle? In other words, is PerezHilton.com so 3008, or is he merely 2000 and late? Take our poll below, then sound off in the comments section!

More on Perez Hilton:
Perez Hilton sues Black Eyed Peas’ road manager
Black Eyed Peas manager charged with Perez Hilton assault
Breckin Meyer parodies Perez Hilton

Jul 6 2009 12:00 PM ET

Every indie romance...in a song

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This "Ode to the Indie" from The Rotten Tomatoes Show folks is supposed to poke fun of indie romances. But it only makes me love them more. It's practically an indie rendition of The Sound of Music's  "My Favorite Things." My favorite things? Sad Bill Murray. Hand-drawn fonts. And Zooey Deschanel.

Oh. And headbands.

Kudos to Ellen and Brett, but I look forward to The Shins cover version.

What are some of your favorite indie-film staples?

Jul 5 2009 10:04 PM ET

Did 'Public Enemies' deliver enough Depp and Bale drama?

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As this long weekend winds down, hopefully many of you have had a chance to see Michael Mann's Public Enemies. Whether you liked it or not — and reviews have been decidedly mixed — everyone seems to have an opinion on the extremely limited interaction between stars Johnny Depp and Christian Bale. Like Heat and American Gangster before it, once again we've got a film that promises two of today's hottest actors, yet barely delivers five minutes of shared screen time.

Personally, it didn't bother me in this case, because I was totally engrossed with Depp's portrayal of John Dillinger. But if I had showed up looking to see Bale and Depp going head-to-head, I would have been severely disappointed. How about you, PopWatchers? Were you looking for more? Or were Mann's stylized filmmaking and the pair's strong — if separate — performances satisfying enough? We'd love to hear your thoughts. 

Jul 5 2009 08:51 PM ET

Coming-of-age film soundtracks: Happy anachronisms

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Uwu_logo This class concludes Prof. Leah Greenblatt's week-long course covering the most memorable coming-of-age film soundtracks of the last 50 years. Study up on these films, whose soundtracks mix classic and contemporary hits, catch up on the classes you missed (listed below), then take our final exam to see how much you learned. Come back all summer long for more EW U courses on Harry Potter, Twilight, and more.

Happy Anachronisms

Dirty-Dancing_l[1]When Baby(Jennifer Grey) arrives at a Catskills family resort in 1963, America is on thecusp of countless cultural changes — few of which involve oddly ‘80s bands andsynth-riddled songs like “I’ve Had the Time of My Life” and “She’s Like theWind.” Still, 1987’s Dirty Dancing became one of the most successful soundtracksof all time, and for a good reason — its mix of familiar ‘60s classics (TheRonettes‚ “Be My Baby”), lesser-known time-capsule treasures (Mickey &Sylvia’s “Love Is Strange”), and thoroughly modern — at the time, atleast — compositions (Alfie Zappacosta’s “Overload,” Eric Carmen’s “Hungry Eyes”),hit a chord, spending 18 weeks at no. 1. Heck, even Patrick Swayze’s moonyballad was a hit.

As for 1978’s Grease? Though the film is set in 1958,and the majority of the soundtrack’s beloved songs are faithfully ‘50s, thetitle track was written by one of the most definitively ‘70s hitmakers, the BeeGees’ Barry Gibb, and its groovy, chugging beat is nearly as Studio 54-ready asOlivia Newton John’s infamous satin-spandex pants in the finale scene. The moviedid, however, have goofy flashback act Sha Na Na to bring back the ersatzdoo-wop on tracks like “Born to Hand Jive” and “Rock ‘n Roll Is Here to Stay.”

For Reference: Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes, “I’ve Had theTime of My Life”; Maurice Williams, “Stay”; “You Don’t Own Me” (originally sungby Lesley Gore, though the soundtrack contains a version by

new-wave Brits the Blow Monkeys); Frankie Valli, “Grease”; Sha-Na-Na, “Blue Moon”; Jeff Conaway and JohnTravolta, “Grease Lightnin’.”

Extra credit viewing: Marie Antoinette,in which innocent teen Kirsten Dunst becomes the ”Let them eat cake” queen oflegend to the highly stylized, deliberately out-of-time sounds of New Order, theStrokes, and Siouxsie and the Banshees.

For discussion: What are your favorite decade-hopping soundtracks?


More on coming-of-age film soundtracks from EW University:
At the Hop:Mid-Century Nostalgia
Closerto Groovy: Cruising into the '70s
Totally‘80s: The Greed Decade Goes Pop
The1990s: Rocking Out in the Irony Age
TheIndie Aughties: "This song will change your life"
Final exam:Test your knowledge of teen angst anthems

Jul 5 2009 04:15 PM ET

Allison Iraheta, please work with Stevie Nicks, Johnette Napolitano. (For real!)

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Tags: , American Idol

Alison-Iraheta-Stevie-Nicks_lA couple weeks ago, I wrote a blog item encouraging Adam Lambert to collaborate with Madonna on his debut album, and in the interest of equal time (and equal love) I’ve been pondering dream collaborators for American Idol season 8 colleagues Allison Iraheta and Kris Allen. We’ll get to Kris later this week, but for now, let’s mull Allison, one of the most exciting female rock voices to score a major-label deal in recent memory.

As we saw from her best Idol performances, Allison soars when she’s got great melodies to work with (“Alone,” “Give in to Me”), and what’s more, she’s a heckuva storyteller (“I Can’t Make You Love Me,” “Papa Was a Rolling Stone,” that exit performance of “Cry Baby”). Which is why I’m hoping the good folks at Jive Records won’t force the season 8 rocker into a Daughtry/Nickelback/generic modern rock mold. Instead, why not let Allison log some studio time with the legendary Stevie Nicks, and perhaps Concrete Blonde frontwoman Johnette Napolitano?

A matchup with Nicks is a no-brainer. The Fleetwood Mac star is a revered and timeless songwriter who’s collaborated effortlessly with everyone from Tom Petty to Sheryl Crow, from Don Henley to the Dixie Chicks. Plus, she’d be able to give Allison a stamp of approval that would open up doors to an entrenched classic rock audience that might otherwise bristle at the mention of anyone associated with Idol. Meanwhile, as Stevie proved with her recent Soundstage Sessions disc and corresponding Live in Chicago DVD, she isn’t exactly ready for her rocking chair; a partnership with Iraheta would present her with an exciting project that could introduce her music to a generation of teens and twentysomethings who hadn’t even been born the last time Nicks was rocking the Billboard Hot 100. (By the bye, if you’re a Stevie Nicks fan, click here and check out my colleague Leah Greenblatt’s extraordinary Q&A about the singer’s favorite songs. Not to be missed!)

As for Napolitano, well, it’s been almost two decades since Concrete Blonde’s seminal 1990 disc Bloodletting, and yet the music still sounds fresh and relevant after all this time. A writing session with Napolitano could capture some of Allison’s darker edges without stuffing repeat-worthy melodies down the garbage disposal. In fact, can you imagine how cool it would be to hear Allison tackle “The Sky Is a Poisonous Garden” or “Days and Days”?(The latter tune is embedded after the jump!) Teaming up with Napolitano (and not just a team of today's most in-demand producers) would also give Allison a hint of trailblazing cool, in much the same way Pink did when she famously tracked down 4 Non-Blondes frontwoman Linda Perry when it came time to record Mizundastood. That collaboration reenergized both women's careers, and resulted in a pretty ass-kicking set of tunes. I certainly wouldn't be disappointed if an Iraheta-Napolitano partnership yielded similarly scintillating artistic and commercial results. While she's at it, Allison might want to get on the phone with Beth Hart, Imani Coppola, Jane Child, Kina Cosper, and Toby Lightman. She can thank me later in her liner notes!

Which producers, songwriters, and performers would you like to see paired up with Allison for her debut disc? Sound off in the comments section below, and while you're at it, don't forget to follow me (and all my Idol coverage) on Twitter!

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Jul 5 2009 03:10 AM ET

Fireworks: Spectacular televised ones or local live displays?

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Hey, everybody. Hope this Independence Day is treating you well. As consumers of pop culture, we at EW.com have got to know how you prefer to consume the ultimate July 4th pop culture event: fireworks. There are some spectacular ones on television every year, such as Macys’ 4th of July fireworks which aired tonight on NBC, or you may have a favorite local tradition that you must honor every year. To me, not even the most spectacular televised shows can compare to even the most quaint neighborhood display. Which do you prefer? Tell us in our poll below and have a great 4th of July!

Jul 4 2009 08:53 PM ET

Coming-of-age film soundtracks: The '00s

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Uwu_logo As part of our week-long crash-course on seminal coming-of-age film soundtracks, we check out the biggest hits from the current decade, including indie-rock goldmine Garden State. Check out previous classes (listed below) to see what you missed, then test your knowledge of teen-angst anthems with our final exam.

The Indie Aughties
Indie films with strong musical elements were nothing new by the earlyaughts — just ask Quentin Tarantino, Jim Jarmusch, and John Waters, to name afew — but 2004's Garden State marked a new kind of movie-soundtrack synergy. Inthe film, Natalie Portman's headphone plea (see class title, above) elevated thewistful, literate rockers the Shins to an entirely new level. The band's 2001Sub Pop debut, Oh, Inverted World, made the band fast cool-kid favorites, but ittook that now-legendary Garden State placement to elevate them to SNL-playing,Billboard-charting indie all-stars.

Garden-State-Portman_dl[1] Writer/director star Zach Braffdoesn't win big points for discovery (the majority of the bands he features werealready well known in indie circles), but he did give State the alt-for-the-massessoundtrack of the '00s by mixing emerging acts like the Postal Service and Iron& Wine with proto-alt icons like Nick Drake. It set the stage, no doubt, for2008's Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, which sent its two teen loverscareening along an up-all-night collision course (through many real NYClandmarks) to the sound of of-the-moment acts like Vampire Weekend, Band ofHorses, and We Are Scientists. The popularity of 2007's knocked-up-teen dramedy Juno, meanwhile, made anti-folk oddballs the Moldy Peaches a householdname — several years after the NYC duo disbanded. Still, solo Peach Kimya Dawson'schildlike, herky-jerky compositions also became an integral part of the movie,and the soundtrack stunned many music industry insiders by hitting no. 1 on theBillboard charts.

2009's Adventureland couldn't go too heavy on theaughts rock; its setting, a low-rent Pittsburgh amusement park circa 1987,instead showcased the raspy croon of Lou Reed ("Satellite of Love"), theshambolic guitar jangle of the Replacements ("Unsatisfied") and othercollege-rock classics, alongside then-current bubblegum pop (Animotion's "Obsession," Falco's "Rock Me Amadeus") and a few original compositions by indiestalwarts Yo La Tengo.

After the jump: Donnie Darko and (500) Days of Summer

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Jul 4 2009 04:17 PM ET

'Harper's Island': Who's the killer? And who needs to die?

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Harpers-Island-show_l While many Americans tonight will be looking skyward and oohing and ahhing over their local fireworks displays, I’ll be staring at a blank TV screen, wondering why I have to wait another week for the two-hour season finale of CBS’ questionably competent but highly addictive Harper’s Island. (I know, I know…it’s a major holiday weekend, but since CBS has already shunted the murder mystery off to Saturday nights, I’m surprised they’re not airing Harper’s anyhow.)

Just because there’s no new episode tonight, however, doesn’t mean we can’t dish the show. (The surprisingly robust message boards on my blog item about last week’s Chloe-Cal death scene proved there are plenty of closet Harper’s fans lurking on the Internets.) With that in mind, I thought it might be high time for a couple of quick pre-finale polls about who’s in cahoots with John Wakefield in the rampant wedding-week killing spree, and which character we’re hoping will join the large and growing death toll before the final credits roll.

So…who’s helping Wakefield? I’d been thinking Jimmy and hoping Abby (what? sometimes I see homicide in her eyes!) since episode 1, but after last week’s end-of-episode reveal that Abby’s late dad was keeping a file on Jimmy, I’m almost certain the show will take it in a different direction. A few of you pointed out in the message boards of my previous Harper’s item that Henry was ridiculously bloody after Abby discovered J.D.’s body, and what’s more, how come he’s always trying to stop our heroine from firing her rifle in Wakefield’s direction? As for who ought to die, well…I’m voting for annoying tween Madison, whose wide-eyed stares and sing-song speaking cadence ought to be locked (permanently) in that darkened chamber in the tunnel underneath the Inn. Right next to her whiny, ineffective mother, Shea. Wrong? Yes. But anyone who’s watching this show – and enduring Madison’s bone-chilling line reading of “One by one” – understands where I’m coming from. Anyway, vote in the polls and head to the comments section and let me know your Harper’s theories. Then we can gather back here at PopWatch next Sunday morning to dish the finale!

Jul 4 2009 04:53 AM ET

Enter the Fray: Chris Harrison drops names, Jamie Foxx moonwalks, and more

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Chris-Harrison-ext_l In honor of the birth of our nation, we'll keep this week's Fray nice and short. Go buy yourself an ice cream cone (with rainbow sprinkles, of course) and look back at the 10 posts that inspired the most comments from PopWatchers this week:

10. Josh Wolk's Pop Culture Club went back to camp to see if the movie Meatballs is still funny.

9. Michael Slezak reminded us to tune in to the first-ever repeat of American Idol, an encore viewing of last season's top 13 Michael Jackson night.

8. Kate Ward took Slezak's reminder to heart, and was pleasantly surprised to find she enjoyed Michael Sarver's performance of ''You Are Not Alone'' the second time around (free of the Idol-induced stress of hoping her favorites made it through).

7. Dalton Ross and Annie Barrett discussed Jon and Kate post-split on this week's Must List Live — and so did you.

6. Apparently, Bachelorette Jillian is an abysmal judge of character, because she keeps picking guys who aren't worthy of her love.

5. Now that (SPOILER!) Chloe and Cal are gone from Harper's Island, why should we keep watching?

4. Mandi Bierly's keeping her copy of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince on the shelf so she can still be surprised by what happens when the movie comes out, but will you give the book a re-read to prepare yourself?

3. Faithful devotees of Jodi Picoult's My Sister's Keeper are angry at the film's director for changing the ending.

2. Jamie Foxx moonwalked at the BET Awards in honor of the King of Pop (embedded below). Fitting tribute or self-indulgent display of ego?

1. Chris Harrison is wondering if you've seen any names, because he dropped a bunch of them in the first paragraph of this week's Bachelorette blog.

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