There’s nothing like finding out that an entire first season of a show is On Demand. (Well, except for maybe finding it for free on Hulu: Arrested Development‘s is available through Dec. 31.) If you’ve got HBO On Demand, now is the time to get into True Blood. The first 12 episodes just became available again.
A True Blood season 1 marathon is what we’re loving this week. What’s on your Must List? Submit your pick by noon ET Wednesday. Remember to include an e-mail and some clever commentary on that TV/movie/music/book/online distraction. You could end up in the magazine.
I have not yet seen the new off-Broadway production of Romeo and Juliet, but I’m already a fan of the concept. As heard on NPR (and read in a glowing New York Times review), the classic love story is performed in a mock-traditional Shakespearean style (“all tights and gesticulations”), but through the exact words of eight people — including the stars Robert M. Johanson and Anne Gridley — who’d been phoned and asked to recollect the plot off the top of their heads. The creators came up with the idea when they couldn’t remember how the story unfolded. In co-director Pavol Liska’s defense, that’s because he never actually read it.
The results are said to be hilarious as details are forgotten (“Romeo gets in a fight with some guy with a very flourishy name like Euristhepis or something like that”), tangents are taken (“It’s sort of like Anna Nicole…. You know, like, she went into the Bahamas. Do you remember when you found out about Anna Nicole? Yes, to me it’s kind of like 9/11″), and new insights are offered. “One bizarrely priapic interpretation seems to position the play as a Shakespearean ode to onanism, with Romeo depicted as a serial masturbator,” says the Times. “This version includes a scene I’m pretty sure I’ve never seen staged, in which Juliet’s ‘former fiancé’ Paris engages in an act of self-pleasure over her corpse (‘or something’).”
Do you think this treatment sounds as potentially genius as I do? What other tales would you like to see told this way? (Hearing people mix up Jane Austen novels and use movie actors’ names instead of characters’ could be fun.) And while we’re talking about asking people to share the plot of classics you haven’t read…when was the last time you did just that? (For me it was two nights ago, when my 14-year-old step-niece took me through A Tale of Two Cities. The funniest thing was when my sister sat down mid-conversation, heard a particularly disturbing plot point, and asked, “Is this something you wrote or something you read?”)
After all the months of hype and endless speculation about whether James Cameron’s super-sized sci-fi epic would be the next Titanic-sized hit or Ishtar-scented dud, Avatar has finally had its day in cinematic court. The verdict: $232 million and counting. Okay, so you’ve bought the ticket, seen the movie (maybe more than once), and you have questions. Burning, nagging questions. Like, for example,how much did the thing actually cost to make? Is it the most expensive movie ever after adjusting for inflation? Who will see all the money it rakes in? What does the film’s success mean for 3-D technology? Will every movie be in 3-D now? Is Sam Worthington now an A-list star? Will there be a sequel? Does it really have a shot at a Best Picture Oscar? Let’s hear what you got, PopWatchers.
Is it weird that I want Ricky Gervais to sing me lullabies? I really, really do.
It’d be damn near impossible to top their first meeting, but this clip is uterus-shatteringly adorable anyway. Plus the hangoverface disheveled-looking Elmo is just bonus cuteness.
Who do you want to sing you a celebrity lullaby, PopWatchers?
A couple of weeks ago, we found ourselves sitting face to face with His Dudeness, Jeff Bridges, to talk about his excellent new movie, Crazy Heart. The actor had plenty to say about the film and his Oscar-buzz portrayal of an alcoholic country singer, which you’ll be able to read when EW lands in your mailbox on Friday. But since we were in the presence of everyone’s favorite stoned, strike-rolling cult hero, we had to ask about the 1998 Coen brothers classic, The Big Lebowski. Specifically, we asked Bridges what he does when he’s sitting at home in Santa Barbara, chilling, watching TV (with, one hopes, a White Russian in hand) and The Big Lebowski comes on. Does he turn the channel? Watch the movie from beginning to end? Stick around to see a particular scene? Here’s what Bridges had to say…
“The only movie that I’ll catch and watch all the way through is The Godfather. That hooks me in every time. I’ve seen that several times thinking I’m going to change the channel. With Lebowski, usually I’ll say, ‘Oh, I’ll just wait until Turturro licks the ball, then I’ll change it.’ And then he licks the ball, and I’ll keep watching.”
There you have it, folks. When it comes to John Turturro’s Jesus, even the Dude abides. Speaking of which, now that you know his choice, what’s your favorite scene from The Big Lebowski? Oh, and in case you need a refresher on the scene Bridges is talking about, put on that ratty bathrobe, pour yourself a Caucasian, and enjoy this clip (in Español, no less!).
For more on Bridges and Crazy Heart, pick up the new issue of Entertainment Weekly, on stands Jan. 1.
Trying to condense the year’s Web videos into a mere top 10 has been a challenge, not to mention a fabulous exercise the concept of distraction. But without further ado, here are the 10 best non-animal viral videos of 2009. (Yes, that does mean there will be an animal-only countdown tomorrow. Suspense!)
Fan-Made Features
Most viral hits are short and sweet, which might explain why these brilliant — but extremely long — entries into the pop canon didn’t become as popular as they deserved to be: Both the the fan-made “Dr. Horrible” prequeland the student-created Harry Potter musical should have been huge hits. Instead, neither quite took off, except here at PopWatch Dork Headquarters, where they are treated with the respect they deserve.
First, Wain’s picks. After the jump, mine. Then in the comments sections, yours. Tip: Box Office Mojo’s yearly charts are an easy reference.
David Wain’s Middle 10 Neither Best Nor Worst Movies of the Decade:
10. The Mexican
9. Insomnia
8. The Terminal
7. Charlie Wilson’s War
6. Music & Lyrics
5. 3:10 to Yuma
3. Tie: Runaway Jury/Baby Mama
2. Blue Crush
1. Changing Lanes
Glee makes a very early leap to DVD today, cranking out its first release before it even finishes the season. The “Road to Sectionals” package has the first 13 episodes, plus special features like director commentary and audition reels, yada yada.
I have resigned myself to the fact that Glee won’t be back until April, but I need more than DVD bonus features to carry me through. What’s a Gleek gotta do to get some webisodes between now and then? (The show didn’t immediately respond to our queries about possible webisode plans.) If there were ever a show whose fans slavishly devour any molecule of Web-based fandom, it’s this — and I say this because I do it, too. (How many times can I listen to “Maybe This Time” before it just lives in my brain 24/7, a la Franny Glass? A few more times, I guess!). To paraphrase one of my favorite numbers from the season, my life sucks without this show.
I would watch raw rehearsal footage, PopWatchers. I want more about how Sue “C”s it. I badly want to see Emma organize her closet. So let ‘er rip: Are DVDs enough for you, or are you with me on Team Webisode?
Bodies pile up like dirty socks in the PG-13 Avatar, but Nancy Meyers’ classy comedy It’s Complicated got an R-rating from the MPAA. What gives? According to the New York Times, board members were uneasy about a sequence in which Meryl Streep, Steve Martin, and Alec Baldwin smoke marijuana at a party with no negative consequences. Seems a little strange to us, since plenty of other movies have shown similar illegal activities without tragic ends. Here’s a look at a few highlights (sorry, couldn’t resist). READ FULL STORY »
Our Guilty Pleasures Reality TV Showdown moves into the Final Four, so we’re analyzing the matchups in the finals (see full bracket here).
Today, we look at the strengths and weaknesses of Rock of Love vs. Say Yes to the Dress.
STAR PLAYERS Rock of Love: Bret Michaels Say Yes to the Dress: Randy, Claudia, Keisha, Audrey Advantage: Rock of Love
CHEESE FACTOR Rock of Love: The whole enterprise is about a former hair band singer looking for love whilst modeling various bandanas in his hair. 100% Cheese. Say Yes to the Dress: Brides ooh-ing and aah-ing about dresses, air-kissing sales associates, gushing about perfect grooms. Advantage: Rock of Love READ FULL STORY »
