Archive: November 2010 (351-360 of 486)

Nov 8 2010 08:01 AM ET

'The Walking Dead': Comic book series creator Robert Kirkman talks about last night's 'Guts'-y episode

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Filed under: About Last Night, Books, News, Television, TV and tagged: , , , , , , , , , , ,

the-walking-deadLast night, AMC broadcast the second episode of The Walking Dead, its adaptation of Robert Kirkman’s still ongoing zombie comic book saga. Would executive producer and show creator Frank Darabont maintain the jaw-dropping level of carnage featured in the pilot, which opened with Andrew Lincoln’s sheriff hero Rick Grimes shooting a cute zombified girl in the head (and which scored record-breaking ratings for AMC)?

The answer was a definite “Yes-and-then-some!” as the appropriately titled Guts found Grimes and his new buddy Glenn (Steven Yeun) attempting to blend in with the undead hordes of Atlanta by covering themselves with blood, viscera, and even a severed foot. (Between this show and the just released 127 Hours, I can only assume it must have been National Detached Extremities Weekend. My, it seems to come earlier every year!) The second episode also introduced a number of characters including the racist Merle Dixon, played by Michael Rooker of Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer infamy.

After the jump, Kirkman—who in addition to creating the original comic, is one of the show’s writers and executive producers—ruminates on the episode, talks post-apocalyptic sex, and admits that the severed foot may possibly have been… a step too far! (Warning: The post does contain an image of an extremely gore-covered Grimes.)

READ FULL STORY »

Nov 8 2010 12:46 AM ET

'Bridezillas' -- Why I say 'I do' to TV's guiltiest pleasure

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Filed under: Reality TV, Television, TV and tagged: , , , , , , ,

Let me start off by saying that I am not exactly the target demographic for the WE’s reality series, Bridezillas. Or any other WE series, for that matter. I’m a guy who likes horror movies and sports. But a couple of seasons back, my wife started watching this hour-long crazyfest and I got hooked fast. Why? Because it turns out that watching a spoiled bride flip out and shriek at her fiance or get wasted at her bachelorette party and take a swing at a bouncer is pretty close to horror movies and sports.

Tonight, Bridezillas pulled out all the stops for a supersized two-hour season finale that followed three (instead of the usual two) brides in the tense walk-up to their big days. What I love about this show besides the tantrums, bad taste, and ever-present threat of physical violence is listening to my wife’s commentary while we watch. As one of the brides launches into a hissy fit, she’ll say, “At least I wasn’t that bad.” She’s right, she wasn’t. But it’s funny how every bride, including the one sitting next to me on the sofa at one point or another says the following line in the long lead-up to their nuptials: IT’S…MY…DAY!!! At which point all grooms should just nod, say, “you’re absolutely right, honey”, and back slowly out of the room.

On tonight’s episode, bride #1 was Molly, a brat from Ohio who so desperately wants her wedding to be “different” that she hires a stretch armored Brinks truck as a limo (her meltdown with the limo company is priceless). She names her dress “Antoinette” and doesn’t deny it when her husband says that she loves her shoes more than him. Like in a horror movie, you look at the husband and start shouting at the screen, “Run!!!” READ FULL STORY »

Nov 8 2010 12:01 AM ET

Who is the most under-appreciated Entertainer of the Year? (Top 64, Part 2)

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Filed under: Jersey Shore, Movies, Music, Reality TV, Television, TV and tagged: , , , , , , ,

Underappreciated-Entertainers-2AImage Credit: Michael Yarish/CBS; Michael Yarish/Fox; Rankin; RJ ShaughnessyYou nominated them — now it’s time to vote for who you think is the most under-appreciated entertainer of 2010! Because though Valentine’s Day is still several Hallmark holidays away, when do we not feel like showing our love for Hollywood’s most unsung heroes? But there can only be one: In anticipation of our upcoming Entertainers of the Year print issue, we’re asking you, dear readers, to crown who you think is the most under-appreciated star of the year. This time around, a doctor (from House) is in the house: Robert Sean Leonard faces off against Criminal Minds‘ Thomas Gibson in the TV category; Kelis attempts to drink Sia’s milkshake in the music category; The Runaways‘ Michael Shannon tries to, well, run away with the vote against The Town‘s Rebecca Hall in the movie category; and Jersey Shore‘s Angelina Pivarnick threatens to steal The Bachelorette’s Chris Lambton’s rose in the reality-TV category. Submit your round 1, day 2 vote after the jump, and click here to check out our entire bracket of 64 competitors.  READ FULL STORY »

Nov 7 2010 08:10 AM ET

'127 Hours': Were you able to watch the amputation scene?

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Filed under: Movies and tagged: , , , ,

127-hoursA strange phenomenon occurred at the theater when I went to watch 127 Hours yesterday — and I’m not talking about the baffling fact that some steel-stomached moviegoers walked into the film with snacks in-hand, apparently unfazed by reports of audience members fainting at screenings from the gore.

The oddity in question came just as this movie’s protagonist was about to cut off his own arm with the aid of a dull pocket knife. (That’s not really a spoiler, right?) As James Franco (playing trapped adventure junkie Aron Ralston) stuck his finger inside a puncture wound in his arm to begin the horrifying amputation process, I saw a wave of heads in the crowd disappear from my line of sight and settle into the shoulder of the person next to them. My non-scientific estimate — based on my observations from my seat at the back of the theater — would be that roughly one-third of the audience had little interest in seeing the rest of that scene.

The reaction would have come as less of a shock to me had the movie’s graphic scene come without warning, but we knew it was coming and that it was an important part of the story. (Personally, it was also the main reason my morbid curiosity and I bought a ticket.)

Perhaps my fellow audience members’ realistic estimates about their ability to handle the gruesomeness helped prevent any major incident during the screening. (Yes, no one fainted.) While that level of self-awareness should be applauded, I still think they kind of missed out.

What do you think, PopWatchers? Did you go watch 127 Hours this weekend? If so, were you able to watch the amputation scene? And did anyone faint at your screening?

Related:
EW Review: ’127 Hours’

On Twitter @EWSandraG

Nov 6 2010 08:30 PM ET

'Due Date': Ethan Tremblay's 'Two and a Half Men' fansite exists

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Filed under: Movies, Two and a Half Men and tagged: , , , ,

two_and_a_half_menAdmit it: After seeing Due Date, you thought about Googling to see if “It’s Raining Two and a Half Men,“ the fansite Zach Galifianakis’ character, aspiring actor Ethan Tremblay, says he runs, exists. Let us save you the effort: It does. It doesn’t run as deep as one would expect from someone who was inspired to become a thespian after watching the show (particularly season 2), but it’s enough of a payoff for curious moviegoers. The page features one of Ethan’s headshots and two Two and a Half Men clips that may or may not be from actual episodes of the CBS comedy. That’s the beauty of Two and a Half Men, isn’t it? If you’ve seen the show or have heard how randy it is, it’s entirely possible that Charlie (Charlie Sheen) walked in on Alan (Jon Cryer) lying naked on his bed with his laptop having some “alone time.” Then again, SPOILER ALERT, they could have shot the scenes when they filmed the movie’s kicker. (Bravo, Two and a Half Men, for playing along. You should have a sense of humor when you’re TV’s most-watched sitcom.)

Update: A rep for the show has confirmed those are actual scenes from episodes.

More Due Date:
Lisa Schwarzbaum reviews Due Date
Should Robert Downey Jr. reach out to Charlie Sheen? (Now it makes sense why David Letterman asked.)

Nov 6 2010 05:29 PM ET

Conan's first guest the curator of a nutcracker museum? We'd believe it.

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

conan-obrienImage Credit: Conan O'Brien: TBS, Nutcracker: Getty ImagesToday, rumors are swirling that Arlene Wagner, who opened  the Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum in the state of Washington 15 years ago with her husband, George, will be Conan O’Brien’s first guest when his late-night show Conan debuts on TBS Monday. A rep for the show has yet to confirm the booking to EW, but here’s what we do know: On Friday, O’Brien announced via the video below that voting in the poll to name his first guest was now closed, and he had decided to eliminate all but three of fans’ picks, including Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga, for various reasons. It’s down to Jack Nicholson, the Sultan of Brunei, and Wagner, Conan said — adding that he would be tallying and manipulating the results. After sidekick Andy Richter gave an interview contemplating having the elusive Nicholson sitting between him and Conan, a rep for Conan called the writer back to say Richter was just “joking.” So yes, we’d believe it if Wagner earned the coveted spot. Both Conan and Andy have said all they want to do on their new show is have fun, and what’s more fun than talking to a woman who’s traveled the world to collect more than 6,000 nutcrackers and will bring props? According to the museum’s website, Wagner is a former ballet teacher who produced the Nutcracker Ballet for many years, and “just as Clara in the ballet became entranced with the wooden figure with the big teeth, so did Arlene.” Who better to talk to about having their balls busted during the Tonight Show debacle? (And again, props!)

Are you now hoping Arlene is Conan’s first guest, or are you still holding out hope for Nicholson? Wouldn’t it be great if Conan had all three of them walk out so he could announce the winner, and then sent Nicholson and the Sultan packing without them saying a word? Maybe that’s a little too much to ask for on basic cable… we’ll see.  READ FULL STORY »

Nov 6 2010 08:00 AM ET

This Week on Stage: 'Women on the Verge' opens, disappoints

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Filed under: News and tagged: ,

women-verge-nervous-breakdownImage Credit: Paul KolnikThe big stage news of the week was the continuing problems with the upcoming Spider-Man musical, which faced both a safety inspection from New York state offiicals and a delayed start of public performances. When will Broadway’s most expensive musical ever catch a break? Stage-wise here on EW.com, we spoke with Time Stands Still star and standout Christina Ricci about the show, her debut on Broadway. And, of course, we reviewed the newest shows to open, which this week included the disappointing musical adaptation of Pedro Almodóvar’s Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, as well as dramatic political play In the Wake and Off Broadway-to-Broadway transfer of The Scottsboro Boys. Here are the highlights: READ FULL STORY »

Nov 6 2010 05:00 AM ET

'Star Wars: The Clone Wars': Is Cad Bane the coolest character? C-3PO?

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Filed under: Mini TV Watch, Television, TV and tagged: , , , , , , , , , , ,

clone-wars-evil-planImage Credit: TM 2010 Lucasfilm Ltd. All Rights Reserved.Star Wars: The Clone Wars’ third season keeps taking us to some pretty unexpected places. I, for one, never imagined that an episode would hinge upon Anakin and Padmé’s party-planning skills. But that’s what “Evil Plans” offered up. Don’t worry, it was a lot cooler than that description would  make out. Actually, “Evil Plans” worked for me because of three key factors—it saw the return of Cad Bane, it beautifully realized the “used future” concept of the original film, and it centered around C-3PO and R2-D2, the Laurel & Hardy of that Galaxy Far, Far Away. That C-3PO finally had his moment to shine—and believe me, he does shine with that gold plating—on The Clone Wars was particularly satisfying to me. READ FULL STORY »

Nov 5 2010 07:02 PM ET

'Friends With Benefits' has Justin Timberlake bringing sexy back, but without any of that romantic stuff

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Filed under: Movies and tagged: , , , ,

When Harry Met Sally… posed the question of whether a man and a woman could just be friends without having to have sex. Two upcoming movies are reversing the formula and asking the much more titillating query of whether a couple of hot stars can just have meaningless sex without any emotional consequences. The trailer for No Strings Attached has Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman playing friends who hope their coitus won’t be interruptus by feelings or typical relationship hang-ups. Now, Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis are getting in on the obligation-free action in the red band trailer for Friends With Benefits. (Side Note: With the sex scene between Portman and Kunis in Black Swan, and Kunis with Kutcher on That 70’s Show, all we need is Kutcher and Timberlake to get down to complete this sex quadrangle. Make it happen, Hollywood.) Check out the trailer below. It’s dirty, so, parents, cover the young’uns’ eyes. READ FULL STORY »

Nov 5 2010 07:00 PM ET

Chiller's 24-hour 'Buffy' marathon: Change your Sunday plans!

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

Buffy-Sarah-Spike-vampireImage Credit: Jerry WolfeIn case you like waking up really early on Sunday mornings and were looking for something to do that involves vampires instead of football, this news is for you: Chiller announced via press release that they will be running a 24-hour marathon of the first season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer this Sunday, starting at the bright hour of 6 a.m. EST. Remember, vampires never sleep, so 6 a.m. is fine for them, but for us mortals, be sure to set your DVR to catch this marathon of amazingness. (Public Service Announcement: On Sunday the clocks fall back, so change your clock and enjoy the extra hour that may make an early morning Buffy marathon a bit more enjoyable.)

The marathon kicks off Buffy‘s daily run on Chiller — which begins Monday — and yes, the series will run in order, which is great for newbies and Buffy enthusiasts alike. I, for one, have been catching episodes of Buffy on LOGO, but I’d also really enjoy starting from the very beginning, if only to remind myself why the series was the most memorable show of my teenage years.

As excited as I am to see the first season and laugh at the ’90s fashion, the episode I’m most excited to see is “Angel,” because it’s the episode that got me hooked on Buffy in the first place. The first epic kiss! The star-crossed lovers! A vampire falling in love with a vampire slayer! Which episode of Buffy are you most excited to see, PopWatchers?

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