Archive: December 2010 (121-130 of 304)

Dec 15 2010 04:24 PM ET

'Jersey Shore' season 3 promo: 'Jersey girls are a little easier,' and other important life lessons

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Filed under: Jersey Shore, TV and tagged: ,

Because some cruel higher power has decided that we should all be punished for our sins in the most hilarious way possible, a new season of Jersey Shore will premiere on Jan. 6th.  Vinny, the process-of-elimination Smart One, promises that “there will be more hook-ups” this season. What a relief! According to Professor Vin-Vin, “Jersey girls are a little bit easier,” which is the kind of harsh truth you won’t be hearing on more playful, less grittily realistic reality shows like Teen Mom. But the promo clip is full of important information you won’t learn in school:

1. The boys have constructed a rudimentary “grenade whistle” to sound the alarm if any undesirables approach. Soon they’ll be using rudimentary tools, building fires, inventing the wheel, and entering the Bronze Age!

2. New housemate Deena Cortese gets into a fight with Sammi, which proves definitely that she is exactly like every other human being who ever spends two minutes with Sammi.

3. J-Woww’s chest balloons are growing at such an alarming rate that it’s entirely possible that they will block out the sun by Jersey Shore season 7.

Watch and learn below! READ FULL STORY »

Dec 15 2010 03:39 PM ET

'Bachelor' contestants revealed: We learn the slapper's name and question the existence of competitive hairstyling

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

ABC has revealed the 30 lucky ladies who will be competing for Bachelor Brad Womack’s affection come Jan. 3, and, well, the list seems to be in keeping with the nutso vibe thus far of the pre-show hype. Among the contestants will be an “emotional waitress,” a “sexy model,” a “sweet children’s hospital event planner,” and a “competitive hairstylist.” I can’t help picturing this last one being scored by Olympic judges every time she attempts some complicated layers — and no further clarifying info is given — so we’ll go with that. (Yes, I realize upon further reflection that they probably just mean she’s a hairstylist by profession who also enjoys winning at all costs, but I like my way better.) We also now know that the “sassy divorcee” shown slapping Brad in those incessant promos is named Chantal, and that the promised backside-grab comes courtesy of a woman named Ashley S. Also in the mix: a “manscaper” named Raichel (who “not only leaves Brad speechless but hairless”… hmmm), a Rockette named Kellie, and a fanged (yes) model named Madison. Is it strange that despite all these exotic creatures, I’m more shocked to see a dentist among the candidates? See the full list after the jump. READ FULL STORY »

Dec 15 2010 02:25 PM ET

Jeff Bridges' 'SNL' promos: 'Fargo, Fargo'

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Filed under: Television, TV and tagged: ,

Jeff Bridges is hosting Saturday Night Live this weekend, with musical guests Eminem and Lil Wayne. Bridges co-hosted an episode in 1983 with his brother Beau, but this marks the Dude’s first solo mission to Studio 8H. Surprising! READ FULL STORY »

Dec 15 2010 02:10 PM ET

'Iron Man 2' tops list of movie blunders. Do stark errors affect your movie-going experience?

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Filed under: Movies and tagged: , ,

iron-man-2Image Credit: Industrial Light & Magic/MarvelOne reason I couldn’t be a film director (besides having no discernible talent for the craft): I never notice flubs during a film unless someone points them out to me. But I love when they do — it’s why I devoured books like Bill Givens’ Roman Soldiers Don’t Wear Watches (the title is a nod to a famous blunder in Ben-Hur) before sites like IMDB and MovieMistakes.com existed to share cinema’s most embarrassing slip-ups. And after reading MovieMistakes.com’s 2010 round-up, it looks like I’ll have to pop Iron Man 2 in the DVD again. Because, according to the site, Jon Favreau’s superhero sequel boasts a whopping 45 mistakes, topping The A-Team, which has 37 errors, and Shutter Island, which has 33.

Now, we should acknowledge that MovieMistakes.com prints user-submitted blunders, which means the website could just have an overwhelming number of Iron Man 2 fans. (Or that the film is picked apart far more than movies like Hot Tub Time Machine, which, for the record, has 11 errors, according to the site.) Among some of the film’s continuity problems (which I, of course, didn’t notice): Disappearing blood, hand placement, magically unbuttoning jackets, etc.

But do these blunders ever color your opinion of films, PopWatchers? I’m going to say no, since the errors are never significant enough for anyone besides hawk-eyed audience members to notice. (See: aforementioned Iron Man 2 mistakes.) And when they are noticeable (ex: The Room), well, that’s what makes for an enjoyable bad movie-going experience.

Dec 15 2010 01:50 PM ET

Sexy Dorothy + kung fu = 'Oz Wars'

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Filed under: Movies and tagged: , ,

Wizard-of-OzImage Credit: Everett Collection; Warner Bros.Another day, another Wizard of Oz project announced. According to Variety, Corpse Bride co-director Mike Johnson will make the CG/stop-motion Oz Wars. Of course, there’s already Summertime Entertainment’s animated Dorothy of Oz, with Lea Michele voicing Dorothy Gale. There’s Disney’s Oz, The Great and Powerful, with Sam Raimi and Robert Downey Jr. attached. Warner Bros. has a project languishing in development with Dakota Fanning reportedly playing Dorothy’s great-granddaughter. Last month, there were even rumors that Robert Zemeckis was prepping a shot-by-shot remake of the 1939 original, but those reports were quickly shot down.

But give Johnson and the folks at Vanguard Films credit: They’re at least moving in a very different direction. According to Variety, their Oz will feature monsters and martial arts, and Johnson says he wants to “create a world that’s dark, slick, sexy, and dangerous.”

Slick? Sexy? Martial arts? I have no clue how Dorothy looks and lives in Johnson’s world, but I would actually like to find out. I’d say Oz Wars is the clubhouse leader for most-over-the-rainbow concept, but which Oz project are you most excited about?

Read more:
Sam Raimi in early negotiations to direct ‘Wizard of Oz’ prequel
Lea Michele in ‘Dorothy of Oz’: New footage. Are you excited?
Contrary to reports, Robert Zemeckis is NOT directing a ‘Wizard of Oz’ remake

Dec 15 2010 01:36 PM ET

Syfy launches Syfy Films, but won't catapult 'Mega Shark' to the big screen. Aw, why not?

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

As an unyielding fan of all Syfy films, no matter how insufferable they may be (Megaquake, Ice Twisters, the list goes on… ), I became inappropriately excited when I read this morning that the network would be teaming with Universal to create Syfy Films. The new company, according to Variety, would “develop Syfy-branded content for the big screen.”

Great! thought optimistic me. There are too few films in the multiplex like Piranha 3D, so it would be beyond fun to watch a film like Mega Piranha battle the Alexandre Aja flick for bad-movie supremacy in the theaters. But it seems it was too much to ask for what could be, oh, the greatest scene in all TV movies to jump onto big screens. Because, apparently, Syfy films will support a higher breed of sci-fi, fantasy, and horror films. “The budget for these films would be higher than our TV movies, so [they will ] not [be] of the same ilk,” a rep from the network told EW.

According to a Wall Street Journal article about the new production company, the budget on any given SyFy Film flick could reach as high as $25 million (or as low as $5 million). And we can indeed expect something more highbrow than Sharktopus: Syfy President Dave Howe told the WSJ that the production arm intends to produce films akin to the low-budget-yet-highly-successful District 9. After all, the network is home to plenty of quality programming that doesn’t involve monstrous, blood-thirsty creatures whose only weakness appears to be bad CGI. (See: Battlestar Galactica, Doctor Who, Caprica… )

Okay, I could settle for a District 9-esque feature. But can it involve at least one prehistoric lizard brought to life? Please?!

Read more:
‘Mega Shark Versus Crocosaurus’ trailer: Steve Urkel fights monster-sized awesomeness
‘Sharktopus’: SyFy just unleashed a half-shark, half-octopus upon the world! Also Eric Roberts!

Dec 15 2010 01:25 PM ET

'Super Mario Brothers' in the style of 'Grand Theft Auto'

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Filed under: Videogames and tagged: ,

What if old-school Super Mario Brothers was remade in the uber-graphic, beyond-R-rated style of the Grand Theft Auto series? That’s the delicious foundation for a new video directed by Country Club Pictures. Mario and Luigi are gangster brothers. Peach is a mob girlfriend who gets kidnapped by rival crime lord Bowser. The trailer-style clip is filled with throwaway references to Mario lore (The Hammer Brothers! Bullet Bill!) and some seriously gut-busting lines (“Sorry, boys, the Princess is in another castle!”) As usual, Toad totally steals the show. He’s the best! READ FULL STORY »

Dec 15 2010 01:00 PM ET

'True Blood' adds two more. How many more characters can we expect?

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

Dane-DeHaanImage Credit: Todd Williamson/WireImage.comEven more new characters for True Blood! Yes, it’s true: In Treatment‘s Dane DeHaan has been cast as Timbo, a teen resident of Hotshot. Recall that Hotshot is HQ for the werepanthers, so I’m guessing DeHaan will be panther-ing it up. Rebecca Wisocky has also been cast as Queen Mab, according to Deadline.

DeHaan kicked ass as Jesse on In Treatment this season, so I’m thrilled to see him get another high-profile gig. Jesse was a moody, unpredictable gay teenager trying to find his place in the world, especially in the context of being adopted and not always meshing with his parents. It was a demanding part, especially because Jesse was often annoying and mean and myopic — you know, a teenager.

Here’s my one concern, and it’s one I’ve had for a while now: There are already a lot of characters on True Blood. Like, a lot a lot. I love the show when it focuses on the core characters, but I just couldn’t care less about, oh, the dog-fighting circuit from last season. Give me more Eric, Bill, and Sookie! Give me less Crystal, please.

But maybe I’m alone on this one. Do you True Blood fans share my concern that the storylines might be spread among too many characters? Or are you a the-more-the-merrier kind of PopWatcher?

Read more:
‘True Blood’ adds fresh blood: Janina Gavankar and Jessica Tuck become regulars
Fiona Shaw joins ‘True Blood’ cast

Dec 15 2010 12:40 PM ET

Whose 15 minutes of fame should be up in 2011?

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

old-spice-man-Isaiah--MustafaIn addition to crowning Facebook CEO (…bitch) Mark Zuckerberg as 2010′s Person of the Year, TIME has released a list of 15 notables whose 15 minutes of fame have just about expired. Among these over-saturated (and questionable) “celebrities”: the infamous JetBlue flight attendant Steven Slater, who taught us all the best way to quit a job is by stealing two beers and sliding down an emergency exit chute on your way out. (He really didn’t need to release a rap song. Like, really, really didn’t.) My 2011 will be just fine imagining Slater has taken up yoga, continues to rock Madras shorts, and has a lifetime membership on TSA’s “No-Fly” list. I’ll make room on my calendar, though, for Isaiah Mustafa, or “The Old Spice Guy,” whose ridiculous marketing campaigns deserve at least another 30 minutes in the spotlight. The man loves being shirtless, and can bake you a cake in the kitchen that he made you. Plus, he has a talent deal with NBC, so the possibilities for his new antics are endless. Swan dive!

The rest of this list just makes me sad. Poor Jim Joyce will always be known as the umpire who blew Armando Galarraga’s perfect game, and Gray Powell has probably been shunned from any and all Silicon Valley happy hours after he left his iPhone 4 prototype in a California bar. Let’s do these guys a favor and let their acquired infamy fizzle out rather than perpetuate it by tormenting them with constant attention, shall we? (See how I didn’t even bring up Oksana Grigorieva? May the year 2011 follow that lead…)

Who do you want to see more from in ’11, PopWatchers? And who’s about as worn out as those World Cup vuvuzelas piled up in your closet?

Read more:
Mark Zuckerberg named TIME’s Person of the Year
Ex-flight attendant Steven Slater has a bad rap (in more ways than one)
The Old Spice guy answers EW’s question — and will be answering yours… but not on a horse.

Dec 15 2010 12:03 PM ET

Holiday double entendres: Which song is the greatest offender?

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ELVIS-AND-SANTAImage Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty ImagesI still think Elvis Presley’s “Santa Claus is Back in Town” is hands down the sexiest Christmas song out there. But after searching iTunes for more bluesy holiday fare, my appreciation for the art of the holiday double entendre has increased. Have a listen to Amos Milburn’s “Let’s Make Christmas Merry, Baby” and Jimmy Butler’s “Trim Your Tree.” And before you judge me, experience the following lyrics:

• “Hang up your pretty stockings/ turn off your light/ Santa Claus is comin’ down your chimney tonight” — “Santa Claus is Back in Town”

• “I’ll come ’round about midnight/ fill your stockings full of toys/ I’ll let you ride in my reindeer/ you won’t need a hobby horse” –”Let’s Make Christmas Merry, Baby”

• “I’m gonna bring along my hatchet/ my beautiful Christmas balls/ I’ll sprinkle my snow up on your tree/ and hang my mistletoe on your wall/ Baby, I’ll make you cheery/ Baby, you’ll call me ‘dearie’/ Baby, I want to trim you/ a beautiful Christmas tree” — “Trim Your Tree”

I vote “Trim Your Tree” the greatest offender. At the end of the song, when he speak-pleads, “Now come on, girl. I want to trim your tree,” he’s not even trying to hide it.

Think you’ve got a song that’s better/worse? Let’s hear it.

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