Archive: February 2010 (71-80 of 489)

Feb 24 2010 10:48 AM ET

PopWatch on Ice: Ladies short program sets the stage for a 21st-century Battle of the Brians

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Filed under: Television and tagged: , , , , ,

Despite a brilliant skate, Japan’s Mao Asada (left) finished nearly five points behind South Korea’s Kim Yu-Na (middle), who broke her own world record in the short program. NBC pitted the two 19-year-olds’ routines side-by-side in this crazy video. So which Brian of the 1988 Battle of the Brians is Kim? Even though silver medalist Brian Orser is Kim’s own coach, the answer has to be gold-medalist Boitano. The chunky jewels on Kim’s mosaic-style James Bond dress simply come far closer to the gold hardware on Boitano’s blue military-style costume than anything on Asada’s dress ever could. But enough about that. EVERYONE rose to the occasion last night! Or more succinctly, in the immortal words of one of Scott Hamilton’s guttural spasms after someone lands a tough jump, “Owwwhh! What a night, unnhhhhh, I can’t believe it!”

Before I get into the ladies’ rankings, please join me in a hearty Canadian round of applause for your faithful PopWatch on Ice recapper Mandi Bierly, who was last spotted “performing” spiral sequences in the middle of a New Jersey Transit car midday Tuesday — eyes closed, iPod’s “Fo Shizzle My Twizzle” playlist on shuffle, hoping the train would transform into a giant bobsled and luge her all the way to Vancouver. (Update: She’s at her computer.) Top 6 finishers after the jump, and by jump I obviously mean triple lutz-triple toe. For the love of Scott, this is the Olympics! Owwhh! READ FULL STORY »

Feb 24 2010 09:00 AM ET

'Parenthood': For this Must List pick, I will rearrange my Tuesday night TV schedule

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Filed under: Television and tagged: ,

My weekly television schedule is something akin to the Mona Lisa in my eyes — a beautiful work of priceless art. It allows for consumption of the largest amount of high-quality television possible in a week, while reserving just barely enough time to eat, sleep, and shower. So when I consider amending said schedule and bumping one of my current beloveds down to ”watch it online/DVR” status, that’s a big freaking deal. I’m hoping Parenthood is worth my trouble and worthy of its Must List status.

Tuesday nights act largely (save Idol) as my time to consume Monday night TV leftovers, but Parenthood should still only view this arrangement a trial run. I will give it three episodes to wow me. If the spoiler clips for the first episode (airing March 2) are any indication, they won’t need three to have my attention.

So far the show has great things happening for it, not the least of which is Gilmore Girls alum Lauren Graham doing what she does best — playing an awesomely sarcastic mom. It also has Craig T. Nelson, Ron Howard in the producer’s chair, and a few faces you once knew but kind of forgot about (yup, that’s the girl from Swimfan playing a mom). I’m hoping it’s the right mix for success because it has its work cut out for it. The original movie is a lot to live up to (Steve Martin in a cowboy outfit and too-small matching hat FTW!), but I’m willing to take the risk.

What about you, PopWatchers? Are you going to give Parenthood a shot, too? Are you putting your TV schedule on the line for any other midseason newbies on your Must List? What else are you digging this week in the world of books/movies/music/Web? Sound off below!

Feb 24 2010 08:30 AM ET

Disney goes goth for 'Alice'

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Filed under: Movies and tagged: ,

alice-in-wonderlandTake note, parents of Disney-obsessed preteens: Your daughter might soon be trading in her pinks for blacks. According to The Wall Street Journal, Disney is planning to license “an extensive line of clothing and accessories” to Hot Topic in the weeks leading up to the March 5 release of Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland. (That includes a soundtrack featuring music by The Cure’s Robert Smith.)

As the Journal points out, this is a definite change for the company, which has made big bucks by selling a princess image to young girls. (They’ll still probably bring in the green by targeting goth girls, though — some of the goods being sold are high-priced items designed by the likes of Stella McCartney and Tom Binns!) And while I’m glad to see Disney offer up a marketing strategy that doesn’t force young girls to idealize a life full of fluffy dresses and Prince Charmings, it’s still a bit of a bummer to think that girls might conform purely to match the company’s commercial interests.

That being said, I might have to stop by a Hot Topic nearby in the coming weeks, just to see this goth spectacle. (Even if the sudden Twilight-inspired resurgence of the mall shop still baffles me, since you could only buy mesh and black cuffs there when I was a teen.) I am a Tim Burton lover, after all. What do you think, PopWatchers? Would you be tempted to buy an Alice-inspired accessory for your young one?

Feb 23 2010 10:05 PM ET

To the 'Lighthouse': What was your take on tonight's episode of 'Lost'?

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Filed under: Lost, Television and tagged: , ,

Why are you reading this if you haven’t watched tonight’s episode of Lost? Why would you want to spoil yourself by reading this dinky little snap judgment summary? I mean, that would be stupid! But hey: free country. Do what you want, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. And don’t say I rudely called you stupid because you’re just seeing things. Stupid. Anyway…

Tonight’s episode, “Lighthouse,” was not as awesome as last week’s episode, “The Substitute,” nor was it as mind-melting as the season premiere, “LA X.” But it was certainly better than “What Kate Does,” although it seemed to me that, like “What Kate Does,” “Lighthouse” was designed to 1.) Put characters where they need to be for next week’s episode, which promises to be more eventful; and 2.) Continue the early season work of reminding us of the essential redemption issue facing the episode’s featured character, in this case Jack. We were reminded that he is a fixer addict, that he is haunted by father issues, and that he has trouble letting go of past pain. We were also reminded that Jack has made a great deal of progress in these areas; at the very least, he can admit that he’s “broken.” But Jack is still searching for his healing fix, and his season 6 journey is about finding it. [UPDATE AT 9:47 PM PST: I am now 2700 words into my recap, and I am learning anew why my snap judgments of Lost are often flawed. The more I sit with this episode, the more I'm digging it. A lot.] What worked for me: Hurley’s humor; psycho-survivalist Claire, well played by Emilie de Ravin; Jack Shephard’s sideways-world struggle to fight through his father issues and connect with his piano prodigy son, David (but… who’s the mom?); and the mysterious contraption that was The Lighthouse. I think the episode wanted us to think it was some kind of mystical surveillance device. That’s certainly what Jack thought it was when he trashed the place. My theory? The Lighthouse doesn’t cast light outward — it shines light inward. More on this in my recap, which will post in the morning. Until then, help yourself to the buffet of bemusement that is “Totally Lost“…

Feb 23 2010 07:45 PM ET

'American Idol' Live Blog: Ellen DeGeneres makes her live-judging debut with the Top 12 girls!

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

Idoloonies, start your engines! American Idol judges, start your critiques! The first live semifinal performance episode of season 9 is upon us,  I’m hoping with all my heart that the addition of Ellen DeGeneres to the judges’ panel will prove as zesty and colorful as cranberry sauce on a Thanksgiving plate. Sign up with our special CoverItLive live-blog widget below…I’ll be online just before 8 p.m. EDT to get the party started. And although I’ll try my hardest to occasionally pull your comments into the live-blog stream, bear in mind that my No. 1 priority will be keeping my eyes on the TV screen (the better to catch all of Kara’s gaffes). In other words, you are strictly verboten from getting offended if your witty and perceptive remarks don’t make the stream! (And there’s always the comments section below for letting your Idol flag fly!) Finally, fret not, I’ll still be writing my regular TV Watch recap, to post early tomorrow on EW.com. (Follow me on Twitter @EWMichaelSlezak to get an alert every time one of my Idol articles posts!) Related: 18 Idol Theme Nights We’d Love to See!

READ FULL STORY »

Feb 23 2010 07:23 PM ET

Kristi Yamaguchi answers EW readers' questions!

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Olympic champion figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi spoke to EW before heading to Vancouver to serve as special correspondent for NBC’s Today show. Take some time during tonight’s intermittent coverage of the ladies’ short program to check out her answers to PopWatch readers’ questions. Look for another Kristi post before Thursday’s long program, and come back for our PopWatch on Ice recap tomorrow morning. In the meantime…TOE PICK!

What American female skater has the best chance at gold (or any medal)? –Tory
It’s definitely an outside chance for both of our girls, Rachael Flatt and Mirai Nagasu. But in my opinion, both of them have that outside chance. I mean, it’s a slim chance, I wouldn’t say it’s huge. But if they skate their bottoms off and some of the other girls make mistakes….you know, the Olympics are such a high-pressure, intense, crazy competition and it comes down to those who can perform when it’s time. Our girls aren’t gonna have any pressure on them — they have a lot less experience than all the girls who could be expected to medal. You just never know how much politics are gonna take effect.

What’s your opinion on skaters who come back after a long period away just because there is an Olympics coming up? (Sasha Cohen, Yevgeny Plushenko) –Judy and Kim
I think Sasha truly wanted to come back and compete and maybe have another chance at an Olympic medal. I don’t believe it was a publicity stunt at all. She put the time in, the effort, and the training, and she narrowly missed. She had a really, really good chance of making the team. It’s hard — in some ways, it’s great to see great skating come back. But at the same time, you know, you see Yevgeny Plushenko come back, and it’s like, dude, you already won! Give someone else a chance! We know you’re great, but let someone else have their time! Obviously, if Yevgeny was American, we’d all feel different.   READ FULL STORY »

Feb 23 2010 07:00 PM ET

Is Angelina Jolie too young to play Dr. Kay Scarpetta?

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Filed under: Movies and tagged: , , ,

angelina-jolieImage Credit: LandovLast year, when Fox announced Angelina Jolie would star in a movie inspired by Patricia Cornwell’s best-selling Dr. Kay Scarpetta series, we suspected there would be some changes. Though Jolie certainly seemed a good fit for Cornwell’s sophisticated medical examiner, there was one major difference between the two: Scarpetta has reached middle age, whereas Jolie is still a ripe, young 34. (And then, of course, there is the fact that Scarpetta is blonde — but we’ve seen Jolie go bleach before.)

And it turns out we were right: In an interview with the L.A. Times, Cornwell spoke about the project — which could begin shooting this fall —  and how it would be altered to tailor its star. For one, Fox has planned an origin story set in the present day. (Cornwell’s first novel in the series, Postmortem, is set in the late 1980s.) And, naturally, the film will highlight a younger Scarpetta, before she’s grown into her own as a medical examiner.

Some Scarpetta purists have already begun to protest the move — and the casting of Jolie. (For the record, Cornwell is okay with the change, telling the L.A. Times: “I can understand why the studio doesn’t want to launch her as someone’s who’s my age.”) But is it really vital for an actor to perfectly resemble the popular literary character they’re bringing to screen? (Remember the message board hullabaloo surrounding Rob Pattinson being cast as Twilight‘s Edward?)

What do you think, PopWatchers and Kay Scarpetta fans? Does a young Scarpetta bother you? Or are you pumped to see Jolie as the star of another franchise?

Feb 23 2010 06:02 PM ET

Countdown to 'Lost': Illuminating the 'Lighthouse' and revisiting 'The Substitute'

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Filed under: Lost, Television and tagged: ,

lighthouse-jackImage Credit: Mario Perez/ABCTonight’s Lost is entitled “Lighthouse.” If you’ve read this week’s Entertainment Weekly cover story, in which Dan Snierson and I traveled to the Hawaii set of Lost to get some insight and answers about the new season, then you know that the episode we’re about to see builds upon last week’s revelation that each of The Numbers (4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42) pertains to a castaway (or at least we presume so; check out our gallery for further exploration) and that Jacob brought/lured these select, Numbered souls to The Island in hopes of grooming one of them to be his replacement as Island protector. (Then again, all of this could be bunk. After all, it was Jacob’s arch-enemy the Lockeness Monster telling the story.) Will Jacob offer a rebuttal to these charges? Or might he actually say, “Nope. Smokey pretty much got it right!” And can he say much of anything in his defense, given that he’s dead, and that the closest thing he has for a lawyer is (gulp) Hurley. We shall see in just a few hours.

I’m getting some emails from some readers wondering why today’s Doc Jensen didn’t include the usual prep guide for the night’s episode. Here’s the deal: Some of you have complained that my prep guides have spoiled a key aspect of each episode — the story’s featured Sideways character. Because I am anti-spoiler, and because I don’t want to lose any of you as readers, I have decided to cut the prep guide from the Doc Jensen column… and move them here, to the weekly “Countdown to Lost” PopWatch item, accompanied by a big old SPOILER ALERT! However, we shall initiate this new protocol next week, because in many ways, I’ve already written the prep guide for “Lighthouse’s” marquee player, who happens to be — SPOILER ALERT! — Jack Shephard. If you want to brush up on everyone’s favorite fixer-addict physician, check out this essay I wrote last month. And I think if you stick to just the “Physician, Heal Thyself!” portion, you’ll be okay. But if you’d rather prepare by quickly watching some past episodes of Lost (or at least perusing the episode guide section of ABC.com), I would recommend that you investigate “White Rabbit” (season 1) and “Something Nice Back Home” (season 4). I would also recommend that after you watch tonight’s episode, you come back here to EW.com to share your snap judgment reaction, then come back tomorrow morning for my recap. READ FULL STORY »

Feb 23 2010 05:30 PM ET

ChatRoulette: Strangers and fiction

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Finally! A peek behind the scenes at ChatRoulette, the randomized video-chat website. NSFW language ahead:


ChatRoulette is all the rage in the last few days, spawning a really good idea for a music video, the adorable subgenre CatRoulette, and thousands and thousands of people exposing themselves and calling each other names.

Have you given ChatRoulette a spin, PopWatchers?

Feb 23 2010 05:00 PM ET

'Deadwood' star Ian McShane in talks for 'Pirates 4'

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Filed under: Movies and tagged: , , ,

Ian-McShaneImage Credit: Reuters/Fred Prouser/LandovThere’s about to be a lot more f—ing swearing in the South Seas. According to Variety, Deadwood star (and all-around foul-mouthed bada–) Ian McShane is in talks to play Blackbeard, the villain of the fourth Pirates film, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (the actor’s reps have yet to return requests for comment). This is cool for a s—load of reasons. Not least of which is the idea of the salty Al Swearengen in a Disney film.

In the Bruckheimerian blockbuster-to-be, which is being directed by Chicago‘s Rob Marshall and is slated to hit theaters on May 20, 2011, the oh-so-naughty Blackbeard will square off against Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack Sparrow as he searches for the Fountain of Youth. The McShane news comes on the heels of reports earlier this month that Penelope Cruz was in negotiations to be in the film as well.

Now tell us, do Cruz and McShane make you more or less excited to see Pirates 4? And are they a better or worse substitute for the absence of Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley?

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