Archive: November 2009 (281-290 of 429)

Nov 11 2009 10:30 AM ET

'Coach' trailer: Hugh Dancy is Hugh Grant, with believable athletic ability

Filed under: Movies and tagged: ,

Watching the trailer for Coach, it’s easy to think it’s just another film about a guy who finds his worth (and a woman) coaching a kids’ team (in this case, soccer). But it’s not. It has Hugh Dancy! Also, Community‘s Gillian Jacobs, as the soon-to-be ex girlfriend who insists he do something with his life, and Last Chance Harvey‘s Liane Balaban, as the doctor who actually makes him want to be a better man.

Are you a sucker for these films, too? Or does the man-child-coming-of-age romantic sports dramedy genre need to be retired?

 

Nov 11 2009 09:36 AM ET

January Jones, beer-pong: These are a few of my favorite things

Filed under: Mad Men, Television and tagged: , ,

Like I needed another reason to adore January Jones. On last night’s Jimmy Fallon, the host challenged the Mad Men beauty to a friendly game of beer-pong. Even though she lost (a staggering upset, considering Fallon’s 1-5 overall record against the likes of Ivanka Trump and Betty White), she won points for belittling Fallon’s watered-down version of the sport. January Jones knows her some beer-pong.

Jones is a Midwesterner, probably more like the Milwaukee gal who was enamored with British accents in Love, Actually than the icy Betty Draper. If her upcoming appearance on Saturday Night Live wasn’t already a must-see, her pong-IQ clinched it.

Which arm of yours would you happily gnaw off to play January Jones in beer-pong?

Nov 11 2009 09:00 AM ET

Zachary Quinto talks up the new 'Star Trek' DVD

star-trek-behind-the-scenes_lWhile Zachary Quinto cracked not much more than a knowing smirk while playing Spock in director J.J. Abrams’ re-vamped Star Trek – out on DVD Nov. 17 — “we did do plenty of laughing off camera,” chuckles Quinto. Anyone who’s seen the leaked gag reel from the movie that’s an extra feature on the impending DVD (it’s out Nov. 17) knows what he’s talking about. “J.J. leads with a sense of humor,” Quinto adds, “and that makes it a lot easier when you’re undertaking something as large as this project was.” So who had Quinto cracking up the most? “Simon Pegg was a big culprit in making me laugh all the time,” Quinto says, but he also singles out co-stars Chris Pine, John Cho, Bruce Greenwood and Karl Urban. “It’s really a funny group of people.”

In one of the making-of documentaries on the DVD, Quinto also talks about when meeting his on-screen namesake for the first time, the very first thing Leonard Nimoy told him was that his life was about to change rather radically. So, has it? “No, not at all,” Quinto laughs, although he’s not joking. “I don’t know — maybe I should be chased down the street by rabid Star Trek fans. But I engage fans on a personal level, and I engage them as myself, [not as Spock]. It’s really important that those boundaries are clear, and that’s always been the case in my life. It seems to be working.” Hopefully, that means Quinto’s career will live long and prosper.

Photo Credit: Zade Rosenthal

Nov 11 2009 08:00 AM ET

Michael Madsen is our nominee for Hardest-Working Man in Show Business

Michael-Madsen_lMichael Madsen calls movies “pictures” and makes a new one every couple weeks. I happened to check his IMDB page recently, and I noticed something incredible: the man acted in 25 movies released this year. 25*! Sure, they all have dubious titles like You Might As Well Live, Lost in the Woods, and Road of No Return. Sure, Madsen mostly plays characters with names like “The Reverend,” “The Associate,” and “Clinton Manitoba.” But the sheer quantity of Madsen-imprinted cinema in 2009 deserves a special kind of acclaim.

Madsen is philosophical about his workaholic output. “I’m only good when I’m busy. When I’ve got nothing to do, I’m useless. I just go to Montana and sit on my front porch,” he told EW. They can’t all be classics, he explained: “You take the work where it comes. People tell you it’ll be the greatest piece of cinema, and then once you’re in it, you can’t escape. Then there are other times, it ends up being a diamond.”

And what diamonds! The cult of Michael Madsen began with his role as Mr. Blonde in Reservoir Dogs, Quentin Tarantino’s endlessly influential debut. “Everyone told me not to do it. Quentin was a first-time director, all the characters were named after colors, and we all kill each other.” READ FULL STORY »

Nov 11 2009 07:30 AM ET

What do you think of 'Clash of the Titans' trailer?

Filed under: Movies and tagged: ,

Clash of the Titans -- the 1981 Geek mythology fantasy starring Harry Hamlin, Laurence Olivier and Maggie Smith, with memorable (if anachronistic) f/x from stop-motion animation master Ray Harryhausen — boasts a pretty hefty fan following, especially among Gen Xers for whom the movie is a geek pop touchstone.

Still, I think only Harryhausen zealots/purists believe that delightfully clunky block of retro-escapist cheese can’t be improved upon–perhaps the rare sacred cow that genre fans think should be remade and rebooted.

The new version, due in theaters March 26, is directed by Louis Leterrier (who’s already proven himself adept at improving busted franchises; see 2008′s The Incredible Hulk) and stars Sam Worthington (Terminator: Salvation; Avatar) as Perseus, Liam Neeson as Zeus, and Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort.

The first trailer is now here:

Some of my colleagues are raving. Me? Not sure. Is it just me, or does it look like Leterrier is trying to retain some of the vibe of  Harryhausen’s scuttling, stylishly unreal creatures with state-of-the-art computer generated effects? I’m not sure I’m digging that. Coming after the sword-and-sandals glut of Gladiator, Troy, and 300, this new film feels not-so-fresh, even with the presence of magic and monsters. But never mind me — what do you think? Watch and post your snap judgments below.

Nov 11 2009 07:04 AM ET

'90210' recap: Parental issues

Everybody spent this episode of 90210 dealing with that old dramatic standby, parental baggage. The problem? They’ve never quite managed to integrate the adults into the action as seamlessly as some other teen dramas do (and even Gossip Girl struggles sometimes) — this week’s made some strides with some parental story lines but got a little snoozy with others.

It was, unfortunately, a case of the latter when it came to Dixon and Deb Wilson. I’ve loved that the fake-pregnancy story line has brought Mama Wilson back into the fold, but I’m just not invested enough in the mom/son relationship here in the first place to care now. It was all melodramatics. She came clean to him about knowing Sasha had engineered the whole knocked-up thing and explained, “I didn’t want you to get your heart broken and not trust women again.” His answer (of course): “Now I know one woman I don’t trust.” Later, after a yelling fight, he even hit Dad with this one: “Whatever. It’s not like she’s my real mom.” Tristan Wilds and Lori Laughlin deserve better! The Wire! Full House! READ FULL STORY »

Nov 11 2009 06:00 AM ET

'Melrose Place' recap: Auggie skips town, Ella's heart skips a beat

melrose-place_lYou know you’re boring when the only reason people notice you’re not around is a full-fledged LAPD manhunt. Yes, Auggie fled town after his tryst with Violet (understandable — I’m still trying to get rid of the mental picture myself), off to Mexico to go “surfing.” Who did they get to fill in chopping the thyme at Coal!?

The knife the cops dug up last week was the weapon used to murder Sydney and it turned out to have Auggie’s blood on it. So a ridiculously large group of cops (and did I hear a helicopter?) swarmed Melrose to find him. Here’s a tip: go to Mexico and look for the guy with a surfboard and wooden facial expressions. READ FULL STORY »

Nov 10 2009 09:00 PM ET

Tonight's 'V': Take Me To Your Figuratively Hot Yet Physiologically Cold-Blooded Leader!

Filed under: Television and tagged: , , ,

Having dazzled us last week with extravagant spaceships and enticingly exotic ETs, V’s second episode scaled back the pricey pseudo-cinematic ambition and shifted to a more sustainable gear–a Trust No One paranoid thriller like Invasion of the Body Snatchers, tailored for a culture coached to worry about sleeper cells in the suburbs. (Be honest: How many of you really sweat that?) V’s second episode left me disappointed me, but not so much to diminish my interest or my belief that there’s a really good series somewhere in here. READ FULL STORY »

Nov 10 2009 08:17 PM ET

Director Guillermo del Toro is a total monster on set! (Or at least he will be in 'The Hobbit')

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Guillermo del Toro is a world class film director, but apparently what he really wants to do is act…in intriciately designed monster make-up. The latest droplet of news dripping out of the seemingly forever-in-the-making world of The Hobbit (tentatively scheduled for a December 2011 release) is that del Toro has cast himself as an extra. But not just any extra–as a scary anonymous monster lurking in the background with other scary anonymous monsters. This, according to a recent interview on German TV. He elaborated in a recent post over at TheOneRing.net: “I had a hand on the design of the creature and I will personally sculpt the appliances that will be applied on my face and hands. …  I will have a line or two and die quickly.” In other Hobbit news, del Toro recently told the BBC that Ian McKellen (Gandalf), Andy Serkis (Gollum) and Hugo Weaving (Elrond) will reprise their roles from Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings’ trilogy in his movie. You can find a meaty update on the project over at slashfilm.com.

Nov 10 2009 05:22 PM ET

Taylor's Swift glittery 'Saturday Night Live' fashions

It’s no secret that Taylor Swift loves pretty, shiny things–and we’re not just talking about Taylor Lautner! From this year’s VMA stunner to her countless other glitzy red carpet moments (here, here and here), Swift is all about the tasteful bling bling. And for her SNL monologue, aptly titled “Monologue Song (La La La),” she sang, “I like glitter and sparkly dresses but I’m not going to talk about that in my monologue,” while wearing, very fittingly, a sparkly Badgley Mischka number  (far left).

For her two musical numbers, Swift donned a nude Jovani dress with silver embellishments (middle) for “You Belong With Me,” and for “Untouchable,” she chose a floaty Marchesa strapless gown (right).

We’ve all been taking about her acting chops, but what did you guys think of her SNL fashion choices? Which was your favorite look?

Photo: Dana Edelson

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