Those of you who watched How I Met Your Mother last night are aware of the sitcom’s latest revelation (SPOILER ALERT): Barney and Robin have officially parted ways. I, however, won’t be breaking out the Kleenex anytime soon. Why? Because the break-up was, well, an awesome move on the writers’ part.
Let’s face it: As much as we loved the idea of our Barney becoming a warm-and-fuzzy relationship guy, it’s become fairly obvious that HIMYM is just not the same without the suit-wearing, tall tale-telling cad we’ve grown to know and love. And Robin just isn’t the same when tied down to relationship-heavy plot points. So, as I quietly celebrated the end of that short-lived era, I began thinking about other TV break-ups that weren’t too hard for me to swallow.
A few examples: I was pretty stoked when Ugly Betty‘s Henry and Betty separated — a zit-plagued prepubescent is less awkward than that relationship — and didn’t really bat an eyelash when Jack and Kate ended their relationship on Lost. (Or have they really?) And who didn’t pivot in celebration when Ross and Emily finally broke up on Friends?
Your turn, PopWatchers. Which TV break-ups have you championed? And which were just too-hard to do? (Worst break-up ever: The Office‘s Michael and Holly. No?)
Photo Credit: Friends: Rex USA/Everett Collection; Mother: Cliff Lipson/CBS
Attention Glambert Nation: Word on the Net is the American Idol runner-up sees marquee lights in his future. According to the website Showbiz Spy, Lambert has expressed a desire to act, a passion he’s pursued in the past (his rep would not comment).
It seems a fitting goal, considering the singer’s flair for the dramatic. But as we’ve seen with previous Idol contestants, competition show stardom doesn’t always translate into Jennifer Hudson-esque big-screen stardom. (Even a proud owner of From Justin to Kelly like myself will admit that.) Even Idol season 5′s Kevin Covais — a.k.a. “Chicken Little” — has found little work after his relatively impressive turn in 2008′s College. Singers who haven’t been discovered by Simon Cowell have similarly suffered setbacks trying to flex their acting chops. Just ask Prince, Britney, and Jessica.
That being said, I hardly think Lambert will follow in that trio’s footsteps. After all, the singer was able to portray a startling range of emotions in just 90 seconds while performing on the Idol stage. (Hello, “Mad World!”) So if he were to pursue this acting career, how should he do it? Broadway seems too obvious, so I suggest he start with a glitzy, music-inspired, crowd-pleasing film like Burlesque. (Considering it stars other show-stoppers like Christina Aguilera and Cher, it’s surprising that Lambert hasn’t landed at least a walk-on role.) And seriously, what mom wouldn’t buy tickets to a fun drama-concert film hybrid starring Adam Lambert?
Would you be happy to see Lambert on the big-screen, PopWatchers? And if so, how should he jumpstart his acting career?
Photo Credit: Chris Hatcher/PR Photos
Good news, Trek fans. The wait is almost over. Just seven more days until J.J. Abrams’ two-disc special edition of Star Trek comes to DVD. Naturally, that means the usual loving assortment of behind-the-scenes extras, including a commentary track from Abrams and his producing and writing teams. But the nuggets you’ll want to check out first are the nine deleted scenes. If you can’t wait, here’s a breakdown of the lost goodies.
Scene 1: Spock’s birth. This was originally supposed to be the first shot in the movie. A touching and tender scene set on the Vulcan home planet with Winona Ryder (Spock’s human mother) and Ben Cross (Spock’s Vulcan pops) being handed their infant son, who the camera pulls back to reveal has, yes, pointy baby Vulcan ears! Awesome. Part of this was in the trailer for the film. And no doubt some fans were bummed when it was nowhere to be found in the version they saw. Well, better late than never. READ FULL STORY »
So, Twihards, the new documentary Robsessed is out today on DVD, and we’ve had an early look at the 70-minute film (see clips after the jump). It was hard to tell from the pre-release info whether it would be a Teen Beat-esque detail of his favorite pizza toppings and best hair days, or a serious documentary about how and why he’s so famous and how he copes with the intense interest in his life. And we can now reveal that Irene Antoniades’ film is kind of both…and kind of neither.
Yes, the uber fans will be particularly drawn to the early modeling shots of him in boxer shorts and black socks. But despite the documentary being touted as “all access,” there seems to be very little other exclusive footage, photos, or interviews with people who actually know him well. Most of the talking heads are British magazine editors who may have met him briefly if at all. It was nice to hear from his old theater group leader from the London suburbs – and it would have been even cooler to see footage of him in those early community productions of Macbeth and Guys and Dolls.
But, alas, there are no interviews with school friends or neighbors (an “interview” with a woman who once saw him in a pub should have been left on the editing-room floor), not even an old school portrait, and no family members coming out of the woodwork (Lindsay Lohan should be so lucky). On the other hand, I now know that RPattz once won an award for messiest desk at school and I’m sure that will enhance my life somehow.
The CW’s already-critically-beloved drama Life Unexpected will premiere in the Gossip Girl slot Jan. 18 (then take the One Tree Hill spot while it goes on a break, making for all-original Mondays throughout the back half of the season). And I’m asking you right now: Please don’t use the GG/OTH downtime to organize your iPod playlists or, you know, go out. Program the DVR as soon as this show’s available on the little search-box thing. The Juno-meets-Gilmore Girls dramedy — about a preternaturally mature teen named Lux (Britt Robertson) who, to get emancipated from foster care, seeks out her emotionally stunted biological parents (Shiri Appleby and Kristoffer Polaha) — has that heartwarming/witty/real combination that used to be a WB staple, back in the heyday of Lorelai, Rory, Dawson’s Creek, and Everwood. It’s absolutely worth watching just because it’ll make you laugh and cry and marvel at how Kerr Smith (who plays Appleby’s fiance) looks exactly the same as he did back when he was Jack on Dawson. But it would also be great to show The CW — and every other network catering to young folks — that there’s a market for these kinds of shows in addition to glossier (Gossip Girl), trendier (Vampire Diaries), and retread-ier (Melrose Place) fare. I love those shows, too, but I hope there’s room for this one:
What do you think, PopWatchers? What must we do to get you to watch?
In a new W magazine cover story interview, Demi Moore speaks candidly about her position in Hollywood (which is currently on the indie scene, see: a role opposite Parker Posey in the upcoming Happy Tears). She also talks about her decision to “step back” and semi-retire to Idaho after starring in and producing G.I. Jane. “I think G.I. Jane got hit because I was paid $12 million to do Striptease,” Moore says. “In a sense, Striptease was a film where women felt I betrayed them. G.I. Jane is a film where men felt I betrayed them. The focus went on that paycheck.”
Have you ever felt “betrayed” by an actor? It’s a strong word that reveals just how seriously we take entertainment. The first betrayal that comes to mind might show you what you value most. For me, the betrayal is Vince Vaughn in Fred Claus and the value is comedy. After Old School and Wedding Crashers, I trusted Vaughn to know both a funny set-up and how to keep the laughs going for 90 minutes. There’s nothing worse than watching a comedy that starts with a great concept (Vaughn as the black sheep brother to a Santa Claus played by Paul Giamatti), but falls flat repeatedly. You feel betrayed because you can’t believe that anyone thought these jokes were funny on the page, which could mean that the film was greenlit with a half-assed script that producers assumed would get better on set (because look at the actors cast, they know funny!). A more recent betrayal in this vein, Nia Vardalos in My Life in Ruins. I read the reviews, but I assumed that with my freakish tolerance of/affection for romantic comedies, I’d enjoy this more than the average person (or critic). But no. Not funny. At all.
Your turn.
P.S. Do not rent or buy Fred Claus.
Photo credit: Striptease: Kerry Hayes; G.I. Jane: Everett Collection
Woah: Everyone’s favorite paternal Twitter feed, S— My Dad Says, is being turned into a CBS sitcom. That…seems about right? This is already a CBS sitcom. There’s the Odd Couple-esque pairing, a built-in family appeal, and a character who says things like “Sometimes life leaves a hundred dollar bill on your dresser, and you don’t realize until later that it’s because it f—ed you,” which is both wise and hilarious.
The leap from Twitter to TV’s a big one, but if there’s any feed that’s right for it, it’s SMDS. The logline writes itself: “Dotcom humorist turned ladmag writer moves back home to get away from city life; reconnects with foul-mouthed dad.” Tada! (SMDS writer Justin Halpern founded the site Holy Taco back in the day, and now he writes for Maxim, according to the LA Times.) It seems like a natural fit to me — doesn’t every sitcom wring humor from the parent/child dynamic?
Count me in, PopWatchers. Would you watch a show based on Shizz My Dad Says?
