Archive: January 2010 (191-200 of 461)

Jan 20 2010 09:00 AM ET

We're Musting Chazz Palminteri on 'Modern Family.' What's on your radar this week?

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Filed under: Modern Family, Television and tagged: , ,

I usually wait until a milestone episode to put one of my favorite TV shows on the Must List. Lucky for me (and subsequently, you), Modern Family is having exactly that this week thanks to guest star Chazz Palminteri.

In the episode (SPOILER-phobes, please abandon ship here), Palminteri plays Shorty, one of Jay’s old friends, who Mitchell is thinks is secretly gay. Of course, Jay denies the claim, but Mitchell might not be completely off base. Watch this clip for more.

I’ve been watching Palminteri on screen since I was about 8 years old and first saw A Bronx Tale with my dad [insert argument for better parental discretion here; although, I never had a problem with it.]. I even had a dog named Sonny, in honor of his character in the movie. But I am excited to see Palminteri play a character armed with knowledge of fine clothing – rather than with an automatic weapon. Modern Family‘s been on a winning streak with their guest stars, and I know Sonny won’t let me down.

So now it’s your turn. Are you as excited about Modern Family as I am? What other shows/books/movies/viral videos are you musting this week? Sound off below! As a thanks for your efforts, here’s a clip from this week’s upcoming episode.

Jan 19 2010 09:55 PM ET

'American Idol' in Chicago: Shania Twain impressed us much!

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Filed under: American Idol, Reality TV and tagged: ,

It’s a bad sign when you don’t even need the fingers on one hand to count the number of truly talented contestants on an American Idol tryout show. Yet while tonight’s Chicago audition episode was to talent what Randy Jackson is to coherent critique, the hour was miraculously rescued by a secret weapon that made everything go down a little easier: Guest judge Shania Twain. In fact, I enjoyed the country superstar’s performance in the Paula Abdul Faded Glory Chair so much, I wrote a tribute song to her, set to the tune of her 1998 hit “That Don’t Impress Me Much.” Click here to get some musical accompaniment, then sing along at home!

I listened to some guys tonight who thought they could sing
Watched Randy and Simon bust up laughing
Well Kara’s no genius — with her “sweetie” refrain
She condescends reflexively, she’s ultra hein
Oh-oh but, Shania’s special
Oh-oh yeah, I think she’s something else

Okay, so she’s a chalet owner
Ms. Twain impressed me much
Yes she had the brains, and had a gentle touch
Hire her quick, yeah a permanent seat
And send the Dawg and Dio-Gwarrd back onto the streets
Ms. Twain impressed me much

What did you think of Shania’s performance? Did any of the contestants impress you tonight? Post your thoughts now, then click over for my full American Idol in Chicago TV Watch recap! And to get updates on all my Idol ramblings, follow me on Twitter @EWMichaelSlezak. (Oh, and if you missed it, check out my recap of the Atlanta audition episode, and vote for your favorite on my list of the Top 20 Idol Contenders from Boston and Atlanta.)

Jan 19 2010 07:55 PM ET

'American Idol': Chat with fellow readers during the Chicago auditions

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Filed under: American Idol, Reality TV and tagged: ,

Yo! It’s about that time! To bring forth the rhythm and the rhyme. To switch on our TV sets and enjoy the sight of wannabe music superstars bursting into song, trying to showcase their “package artistry,” and attempting to win over at least three out of the following four humans: Randy “1 bubonicillion percent” Jackson, Kara “I’m shocked when people who don’t look like supermodels have talent” DioGuardi, Simon “Fox is gonna back up the cash truck to keep him, right?” Cowell, and Shania “so what do you think you’re Elvis or something?” Twain. Feel free to sound off on this (hopefully) fine hour of (hopefully) family television in the comments section, and I’ll be back to post my instant reaction to the episode at PopWatch (around 9:20 p.m. EDT) and then a full TV Watch recap on EW.com early Wednesday a.m. Enjoy, and if you want to get all my musings on American Idol, follow me on Twitter @EWMichaelSlezak. (Oh, and if you missed it, check out my recap of the Atlanta audition episode, and vote for your favorite on my list of the Top 20 Idol Contenders from Boston and Atlanta.)

Jan 19 2010 07:31 PM ET

Clip du jour: Conan and Jay in a 'Sims'-esque brawl

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This Taiwanese news program’s Sims-stye explanation of the NBC late-night wars is amazing. Trust me: Stick with the whole video. It goes from funny-strange to transcendentally amazing about halfway through:

(NMA News also created that fascinating recreation of Tiger Woods’ November car crash.)

This adds a whole new level of meta entertainment to Jay vs. Conan, doesn’t it, PopWatchers?

Update: Translation below! READ FULL STORY »

Jan 19 2010 05:57 PM ET

Martha Stewart (gasp) in pole position

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Breaking holy-crap-did-this-really-happen news: Martha Stewart practiced pole dancing on today’s episode of The Martha Stewart Show. I never thought I would put Martha Stewart and pole dancing in the same sentence. What’s going on on TV, people?!

I hope Whatever, Martha has a whole show devoted to this. Meanwhile, sound off in the comments — do you find it fun watching Martha break out of her comfort zone, or do you want her to stick to sifting flour and arranging peonies?

Jan 19 2010 05:48 PM ET

Adam Lambert on 'Oprah': He shops at Whole Foods! He meets Madonna!

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Filed under: American Idol, Television and tagged: , , , ,

Oprah paid homage this afternoon to the quirky appeal of Susan Boyle and Adam Lambert (and, thus, to the massive power of Simon Cowell-judged televised talent contests). Despite Boyle’s absurd sales figures (8 million worldwide!), though, it was clear who the Oprah demo’s favorite was: Boyle was off the stage after about 15 minutes — a performance and a quick video package/interview about how she used to be regular and frumpy and now she’s famous — to make way for Adam to chat with Oprah and repeatedly visit a Los Angeles Whole Foods in video segments. And though there were no new revelations (he’s still gay!), he did manage to entertain, as usual. Among the things we learned:

1. At his favorite L.A. rocker store, Forgotten Saints, he could actually find a vinyl jacket with furry tufts that he felt went “too far.” (Sadly, it is not available on their website.)

2. He met Madonna for “five minutes” because his guitarist is her guitar teacher, and in those five minutes he told her he was intimidated because he loves her. Her rejoinder: “So love equals intimidation to you?” Can’t you just totally hear her saying that in her faux British accent thing?

3. “Adam is like energy.” That is how 15-year-old Jessica — who shares her Lambert love with mom Sue — explained her fandom just before oh my god being totally surprised when he showed up to give them both passes to his dress rehearsal! Honestly, at this point, how are people still surprised when their dreams come true on Oprah? If I ever get a call from anyone remotely connected to this show, I expect my life to change. And I will be very angry if it doesn’t happen.

And in honor of Jessica and Sue, he sang “Whataya Want from Me” — a very mom-friendly tune, as evidenced by his understated brown jacket, modest eyeliner, and all the ladies of a certain age singing along in the audience.

Also, here’s “If I Had You”:

What about you, PopWatchers? What did you think of Adam (and Susan) on Oprah? Did that jacket really go too far? Is Adam like energy?

Jan 19 2010 05:44 PM ET

Game review: 'Dark Void' gets vertical

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Filed under: Videogames and tagged: ,

To quote the name of the Scottish rock, we were promised jetpacks. After all, Buck Rogers, George Jetson, and James Bond all wore one. And at each turn, personal flight became shorthand for the awesomeness of technology. That iconic piece of aerial equipment’s been showcased in video games– as in the Tribes series — but hasn’t appeared as much as you’d think.  That all changes with Dark Void, which lets players get to strap on their own engines and fly through the air with — almost — the greatest of ease.

Dark Void wears its genre influences on its bomber-jacket sleeve. Set in the run-up to WWII, it’s a little bit Indiana Jones, a whole lot of Rocketeer, a teensy-weensy sliver of Starship Troopers, and even a smidgen of Casablanca. You’ll play as Will, a down-on-his-luck cargo pilot who winds up in an interdimensional limbo after flying through the Bermuda Triangle with an ex-girlfriend. Once he’s trapped in the Void, as it’s called, Will fights against a marauding reptilian species called the Watchers. The creepy crawlers don robot battle suits and subjugate a small community of loincloth-wearing humans who worship them as gods. There’s a pulp feel that takes lots of cues from Saturday matinee serials. For example, it just so happens that you stumble upon Nikola Tesla living in a village with a bunch of tropical natives in another dimensions. And he’s got jetpacks ready for you. Of course. READ FULL STORY »

Jan 19 2010 05:39 PM ET

'MacGruber' trailer: A hit or a bomb?

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Filed under: Movies and tagged: , ,

The redband trailer for Will Forte’s MacGruber has everything you’d expect. There’s the villain with a name that the script is sure to have too much fun with: Dieter Von Cunth (Val Kilmer) has stolen a nuclear warhead that MacGruber and his team (Kristen Wiig and Ryan Phillippe) must find. There’s also the faux-dramatic use of slo-mo, some funnyman nudity, potty humor, and a bit of a First Blood vibe. Are you more or less likely to see the movie now?

Jan 19 2010 03:55 PM ET

'What to Expect When You're Expecting,' the Movie?

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Filed under: Movies and tagged: , , ,

I admit I was a bit puzzled by news that Lionsgate acquired the feature film rights to the pregnancy guide What to Expect When You’re Expecting. It’s not that Expecting isn’t famous enough to carry a movie—almost a quarter century old, it’s sold 16 million copies and is now in its fourth printing. (USA Today once noted that Expecting is read by 93 percent of pregnant women who buy a pregnancy book.) So what’s the problem? Just a little matter of a—how shall I say?—plot. And main character. And fictional or real-life narrative. I’m making fun, but the truth is, it’s not all that unusual for decidedly un-cinematic how-to or self-help guides to end up on the big-screen. In 1972, Woody Allen went to crazy town with the ür-sexual revolution text Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex (But Were Afraid to Ask). And just last year, the dating guide He’s Just Not That Into You somehow extended its 15 minutes even longer with a big-screen romantic comedy of the same name. What else am I missing? And what totally illogical book would you like to see adapted as a movie? I pick Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything. But maybe I’m just hungry.

Jan 19 2010 02:45 PM ET

'NY-LON,' British series starring Stephen Moyer and Rashida Jones, now on Hulu

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Filed under: Television and tagged: , , , ,

Consider this a PopWatch PSA for True Blood fans going through withdrawal and anyone who’s wanted to see Rashida Jones in a starring role: NY-LON, the 2004 Channel 4 series starring Stephen Moyer and Jones as opposites who attract on her holiday in London and attempt a long distance relationship when she returns to New York, is now on Hulu. I powered through all seven episodes over the weekend. NY-LON has been shown on BBC America, but still isn’t available on DVD in the States, so enjoy it while you can, folks.

I don’t want to give too much away, but I will say that Moyer plays a stockbroker, so he wears a suit a lot of the time, and that True Blood isn’t the first series in which he’s shown his bum. The characters lead complicated lives, so it’s a rollercoaster, not a cruise on the “It’s a Small World” ride. Also, if I were to ever share my apartment with someone, the person would need to be British. I always find flatmates more tolerable than American roommates on TV and in movies. Why?

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