Entertainment Weekly's PopWatch Blog | PopWatch

PopWatch Entertainment Weekly's PopWatch Blog

Archive: February 2010 (401-410 of 489)

Feb 4 2010 03:28 PM ET

'Daria' DVDs remind me there's no modern equivalent

Tags: Animation, DVD/Video, Misc., Television, Things That Are Awesome!, Waiting, Who Else Remembers This?, Television

What kind of Sick Sad World is it where the Daria DVDs still haven’t come out? Luckily, they’re on their way.

I’m thrilled the show is finally coming to DVD not only because I’m a die-hard fan but also because there aren’t any characters on TV currently filling that Daria pleasure receptor. April on Parks and Recreation is the closest, but even that’s a stretch — Daria’s more intellectual, while April is pretty silly.

Can you think of a current incarnation of our combat-booted heroine, PopWatchers?

Feb 4 2010 02:40 PM ET

The Griswolds return in Super Bowl commercial, short film!

by Mandi Bierly

Tags: Advertising, Things That Are Awesome!, Waiting

It’s a happy time for those of us who still have fond memories of the Vacation movies because we choose to pretend the Vegas film never happened: Clark and Ellen Griswold are back! Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo have reprised their characters for a 15-minute short film, Hotel Hell Vacation, for HomeAway.com, an online vacation rental marketplace. The short will premiere after a 30-second mock trailer for the film during the third quarter of Sunday’s Super Bowl. What’s the plot? “Clark surprises Ellen with a romantic second honeymoon before meeting up with their son Rusty and his family for an extended vacation. In classic Griswold family tradition, they run into plenty of travel mishaps along the way.” (In classic Vacation tradition, Rusty will be played by a new actor.)

The HomeAway.com campaign has other components, too, like Clark’s Facebook page (he has close to 77,000 fans) and Twitter account, as well as a forthcoming interactive ‘Griswolds Getaway’ Online Game that allows players to try their hand at stacking luggage on top of the Wagon Queen Family Truckster. “As luggage falls from the sky, players have to grab and stack the different items while avoiding flying obstacles that can knock the luggage off the top of the car,” the press release says. “Players, and the Truckster, journey through five tricky levels (including a stop at Cousin Eddie’s house) to the final pay-off at a spacious vacation rental.”

We’ll see on Sunday if this campaign is as genius as it sounds. Any bets?

Feb 4 2010 02:18 PM ET

PopWatch Confessional: Ever felt hurt when a fictional character dissed something you like?

by Mandi Bierly

Tags: About Last Night, PopWatch Confessional, Television, Why Am I Crying?, About Last Night, Television

Watching Psych, I’m usually in sync with Shawn and Gus’ tastes in pop culture. Like, for instance, I support Shawn “vetting” Gus’ new girlfriend in last night’s episode by asking her for her favorite episode of Magnum, P.I. Perhaps that’s why I felt a sting when the duo dissed Final Destination, a movie that I distinctly remember enjoying in the theater, early in the episode. In the scene below, Gus has just found out that his girlfriend is an adrenaline junkie — after he and Shawn unknowingly crashed an extreme white water rafting outing that ended with one of her friends presumed dead. Gus was going to break up with her, but didn’t.

Shawn: Man, she likes to almost die. So do her friends. It’s like we walked into Final Destination.

Gus: Shawn, we walked out of Final Destination.

I was surprised by how sad it made me to think that Shawn and Gus wouldn’t have enjoyed that movie experience. I had to pause the episode and regroup, decide that this little disagreement wouldn’t affect our relationship. It would just be something we would agree never to speak of again. See: The real-life friend with whom I can’t talk about Wings.

Anyone else feel this kind of sting before? Share it so we all feel a little less crazy.

P.S. There’s no way whoever wrote that Final Destination exchange actually saw it in the theater with a crowd.

Feb 4 2010 01:50 PM ET

'Sonic the Hedgehog 4,' a Genesis-style throwback

by Margaret Lyons

Tags: Games, Videogames, You Know You're Getting Old When..., Videogames

Attention, old-skool Sonic fans: Sega has revealed that its long-discussed Project Needlemouse will be Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1. The game will be available as a download this summer for Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii. Exciting!

The game is a throw-back to a Genesis-era Sonic, according to Sega’s interview with Gamespot, and will pick up after Sonic and Knuckles.

On the one hand, I am a huge sucker for Genesis-era anything: I was talking about Ecco the Dolphin just yesterday. (Really!) On the other hand, the Sonic franchise has produced some real stinkers in recent years. The trailer on the official site (warning: makes noise) is encouraging, but I’m still a little wary.

And you, PopWatchers? Have you been eagerly awaiting Sonic’s return to greatness?

Feb 4 2010 01:45 PM ET

Clip du jour: 'Star Wars' tuna commercial

by Margaret Lyons

Tags: Clip du Jour, Star Wars

Just when I think I’ve seen every bizarre Star Wars video ever (holla, French disco!) the world surprises me in the strangest, most fascinating ways possible. Like with this Japanese tuna commercial from the ’70s, featuring a C3PO with a wedgie and the least-appetizing food imaginable. Luckily, Princess Leia is in a ballet costume, so it’s totally by the book. Don’t watch this if you’re on drugs.

Ugh, too bad commercials from the ’70s from Japan can’t win Clios, because this is a freaking masterpiece. Does it get more absurd than this, PopWatchers?

Feb 4 2010 01:42 PM ET

'Cougar Town' recap: You even pick up balls sexy

by Annie Barrett

Tags: About Last Night, Cougar Town, Sports, Television, About Last Night, Television

On last night’s Cougar Town, the boys went on a bender, Travis and Laurie continued to flirt over granola bars in Dale’s closet, and Ellie reprimanded Jules for being selfish. I thought she was the selfish one. Can they just agree they’re both selfish? Not before a chase scene! Courteney Cox is fast. I doubt anyone believes Ellie was ahead of Jules the whole time even with an assist from a street-strewn garbage can, but that probably made it funnier. A hot tennis instructor whose button nose Jules wanted to put on a string and wear around her neck provided even more physical comedy fodder than usual in “All the Wrong Reasons.”

My absolute favorite moment of the tennis situation was when Jules ripped off her track pants in slow motion as if she were an NBA (No Boys Allowed) star, but the orgasmic sound effects accompanying her tennis swings were a close second. “Did you really just say ‘Oh, God’? asked Ellie before exiting in a huff, Jon Hamm-in-30 Rock-style. Should Jules have backed off Ellie’s fake boyfriend? My 5 top lines other than the brilliant “Takeback so I don’t spiral!” are after the jump. READ FULL STORY »

Feb 4 2010 01:04 PM ET

Frances Reid of 'Days of our Lives': Remembering the soap treasure who played Alice Horton

by Mike Bruno

Tags: In Memoriam, Television, Television

Frances Reid, who played Days of Our Lives loving matriarch Alice Horton for more than 40 years, passed away yesterday at the age of 95. She hasn’t had a beefy storyline for some time, but she made appearances on the show up until 2007, and just knowing that she was somewhere, even off-camera, with a dish of donuts and wise word of advice, made Salem feel like home. Of course, Salem hasn’t felt like the old Salem for quite a while now (I forgave them for The Island and even the serial killer stories, but John and Marlena’s exit early last year was the last straw), and with many people sounding the death knell for the whole daytime drama genre, it’s all-the-more sad to see this Lifetime Achievement Emmy-winning soap opera treasure — who also had early-career stints on As the World Turns and The Edge of Night — leave us. At least we can look forward to what had better be a heartfelt tribute on Days that brings together Julie, Maggie, Jennifer, Hope, and all the other remaining Hortons to say goodbye to our beloved Gran.

More ‘Days of Our Lives’:
Goodbye to all that: ‘Days of our Lives’ dumps John and Marlena
What’s the next surprise in the serial killer story line on ‘Days’?
How long will soap operas last?

Feb 4 2010 12:00 PM ET

'Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains': Jerri on the competition -- 'Honestly, I don’t even know their names'

by Dalton Ross

Tags: EW Exclusive Video, EW.com Video, Reality TV, Survivor, Reality TV

Usually, it is customary before playing a game with relatively high stakes (like, say, a million dollars, for example) to scout out the competition a little bit. You know, do a little film study, find out exactly what you’re up against. What their strengths are that need to be neutralized. What their weaknesses are that can be exploited. So, how much of that did Jerri Manthey do leading up to her appearance on Heroes vs. Villains? How about…none! Heck, she doesn’t even know whom she was playing against! “I do not know who everyone is that’s here,” she admitted to me in Samoa just before the game began. “The people I played in All-Stars with — I know them. Some of them I’ve met before, some of them I’ve met very briefly, and some of them I have no idea who they are. Honestly, I don’t even know their names.” [Jerri claims she's back in Black Widow mode, plus exclusive video after the jump.] READ FULL STORY »

Feb 4 2010 11:52 AM ET

'Ugly Betty' Bites: 23 drag-lightful lines from last night's episode, 'Chica and the Man'!

by Tanner Stransky

Tags: About Last Night, Genres, Mini TV Watch, Misc., Television, TV Recap, TV Shows, Ugly Betty, About Last Night, Mini TV Watch, Television

The photo at left kills me. Just look at it! Did you ever imagine we’d see the day where Wilhelmina Slater would meet her drag doppelgänger? And that she’d be so aptly named Wilheldiva Hater? Well, actually, with Ugly Betty, I suppose having a drag version of Wilhelmina Slater isn’t that crazy. But still: Genius! (Love, too, that Wilheldiva was played by Vanessa Williams’ real-life brother Chris.)

And yet again, last night, the heading-toward-the-end show served up yet another stellar episode. (Which feels especially painful and awesome knowing that there are only seven episodes left now.) Betty and Daniel fought it out! The always-delightful Kristen Johnston returned as receptionist Helen! And we found out that Ignacio gets really into… drag queens? Weirdness! But fun.

Also fun? All the great one-liners the show serves up so briskly. Here, my favorites from the evening:

“Sure, I’ll get rid of the Titans of Sports, as soon as you take down your ethnic bric-à-brac! And while we’re at it, please refrain from carrying on in your overly exuberant Latina ways!” —Marc, after Betty, who he’s sharing an office with now, tells him that his men-with-shirts-off decor isn’t professional

“I’m sharing an office with a chunky cheering Charro!” —Marc, after Betty goes into a screaming fit upon hearing she’s won a BLOBBY Award (although she doesn’t know what it is)

“I’m sick of being a receptionist—always being at everyone’s Beck and Victoria!” —Amanda, hilariously complaining about her job with a ref to Britain’s most-fab couple

“I’ll have my lawyers draw up a cease and desist order. As if I didn’t have enough queens to shut down here at Mode!” —Wilhelmina, upon hearing about her drag doppelganger, Wilheldiva Hater

“Congratulations, Betty! Oh, you must be so excited to be honored by the Big Lesbian Order of Bloggers!” —Amanda, making fun of Betty’s BLOBBY Award

READ FULL STORY »

Feb 4 2010 11:45 AM ET

'The Lost Symbol,' 'Enchanted 2,' and 'Fast and Furious 5': Which sequel has you psyched?

by Adam Markovitz

Tags: Movies, Movies

Image Credit: Hanks: Zade Rosenthal; Adams: Barry Wetcher; Diesel: Jaimie TruebloodGet ready for some serious déjà vu at the movies. Studios just announced sequels to three major hit franchises: The Da Vinci Code, Enchanted, and Fast and Furious. But which one are you most excited about? Let’s go through the pros and cons of each:

The Lost Symbol
Pro: The book sold a million copies in its first day.
Con: No, hang on a sec. A MILLION COPIES. Think about it. That’s nuts. But sadly, EW’s Thom Geier gave the book a C+ review. Unless the movie can do better, Symbol might get lost at the box office.

Fast and Furious 5
Pro: Talk about momentum, the fourth F&F was the series’ biggest hit yet, racing to a $343 million haul worldwide.
Con: Can the patented F&F formula — car chases, hot bodies (the automotive kind), and hot bodies (the non-automotive kind) — really hold up for five movies, or are moviegoers ready to shift gears?

Enchanted 2
Pro: Amy Adams‘ star has only risen since she got her big break as Enchanted‘s oblivious princess.
Con: Now that Gisele has learned the ropes of the real world in the first movie, what’s left for her in a sequel? Dealing with the recession? Traveling back to fairytale land? Trying to break into the biz in L.A.?

Personally, my vote goes to F&F5 — I’m a sucker for goofy action movies that don’t pretend to be anything else. But I’m sure more than a few of you out there disagree. So take our poll and fire away in the comments!

More on EW.com:
‘The Lost Symbol’ movie adaptation in the works
‘Enchanted’ sequel in preproduction
‘Fast and Furious’ fifth installment on the way