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Archive: December 2010 (51-60 of 304)

Dec 22 2010 04:31 PM ET

Pauly D inks series option deal with MTV. Which 'Jersey Shore' cast member would you rather see a show about?

Categories: Deals, Jersey Shore, Reality TV, Ridiculata, Television, Things That Make Me Die Inside

Pauly-D Image Credit: Scott Gries/Picture Group/MTVStart fist-pumping, Jersey Shore fans: MTV announced that it has locked a series option deal with cast member Paul “DJ Pauly D” Delvecchio. According to a release, 495 Productions has already shot a pilot presentation centered on the reality star, known for his immobile hairstyle and impressive creeping skills. “At the heart of Jersey Shore is the unique and genuine cast and Pauly D truly embodies both qualities,” Executive Vice President of Programming and Head of Productions at MTV Chris Linn said in the release. “He’s distinguished himself onscreen as the fun-loving, well-coiffed, and dependable guy you can’t help but want to hang out with. We know viewers are curious about his life away from the shore and we look forward to exploring new possibilities around that.” (By “unique” and “genuine,” I’m sure Linn means “oily” and “wow, that guy’s back tattoo is just too much.”)

I’m not surprised that a Jersey Shore cast member has inked an option deal, but, admittedly, I’m surprised Pauly D was the first. Sure, the DJ is not the most soul-sucking of ~~characters~~ real-life people on the show, but, surely, viewers are more interested in a show focusing on how JWoww’s breasts manage to defy gravity. (MythBusters, get on that!)

PopWatchers, which Jersey Shore character would you like to see a show about? Vote in our poll below. READ FULL STORY »

Dec 22 2010 03:45 PM ET

Weekend box office poll: 'True Grit'? 'Little Fockers'?

by Margaret Lyons

Categories: Ben Stiller, Movies

It’s not all unwrapping presents and guzzling cocoa this weekend, PopWatchers: A lot of us will also be heading to ye olde multiplex to take in a movie or two. But what will we see? The serious True Grit? The comedy threequel Little Fockers? If you’ve got the kiddies in tow, Gulliver’s Travels? If you’re in L.A. or Nashville, perhaps Country Strong? Or just for New Yorkers and Angelinos, Somewhere?

In other limited releases, there’s the critically acclaimed South Korean film Secret Sunshine, which is finally getting its U.S. debut, and the animated festival darling The Illusionist, from the director of The Triplets of Belleville.

What new release are you planning on seeing this weekend, PopWatchers?

Dec 22 2010 03:00 PM ET

2010 pop time capsule: What would you put in?

by Margaret Lyons

Categories: Best of 2010, Inception, Lady Gaga

Image Credit: Stephen VaughanLet’s put together a 2010 pop-culture time capsule, PopWatchers. What cultural artifacts can we entomb to communicate to our distant descendants what this year was like? What mattered to us? What shaped up? What made us laugh, made us think, or made us chitchat? My picks:

++ The top from Inception: I was at a party last weekend where people were passionately arguing about the merits and contents of this movie. This movie that came out six months ago.

++ Lady Gaga’s meat dress: Sure, Gaga wore some gagagadawful outfits this year, but it seems like the meat dress captured our imaginations more than any other.

++ Antoine Dodson’s red bandana: Hide your kids, hide your wife. Dodson’s response to his sister’s attack became a local news story, then a viral hit — and then an even bigger sensation, thanks to an Auto-Tuned song that itself was covered over and over and over again.

What would you put in the time capsule, PopWatchers?

Dec 22 2010 02:29 PM ET

Ode to Barry Pepper, the teeth in 'True Grit'

by Jeff Labrecque

Categories: Matt Damon, Movies, Why Wasn't This a Huge Hit?

Image Credit: Lorey SebastianThere are plenty of reasons to see True Grit, the Coen brothers’ remake of the 1969 John Wayne Western, which opens today to usher in the Christmas weekend. A one-eyed Jeff Bridges, for one. The Coens’ cockeyed attempt at a traditional Western. Matt Damon pretending to be Tommy Lee Jones. And Hailee Steinfeld, who is as good as advertised as the precocious Mattie Ross (though she’s egregiously, if wisely, mislabeled as a Supporting Actress for this season’s Oscar campaign — her character drives the plot).

Buried deep in the background — and behind the gnarliest set of teeth since Nosferatu — is a winning performance from Barry Pepper. The 40-year-old actor, best known for his work in Saving Private Ryan, 61*, and 25th Hour, is practically unrecognizable, playing a red-eyed marauder named Lucky Ned, who finds himself in cahoots with Josh Brolin’s villainous fugitive. Lucky Ned, well… let’s just say he’s not so lucky, but Pepper gives the film a boost when he and his gang are forced to confront Bridges and Damon’s posse of two-and-a-half.

Pepper, who’s also currently starring in the Jack Abramoff movie, Casino Jack, is one of those rare things: a character actor in a leading man’s body. Terrence Malick hired him for his next film, and he might be the rare actor his age whose best days are still ahead.

In True Grit, it’s striking to see him and Damon together on screen, both looking worse for wear from their last cinematic encounter. Those who recall that initial meeting (Damon was trying to hold a French bridge against some tanks while Pepper was picking off Nazis with his rifle from the temporary shelter of a church tower) might appreciate the irony of their final violent confrontation in True Grit.

So can I get some love for Barry Pepper? And can someone explain to me why he’s not more of a star?

Dec 22 2010 01:19 PM ET

Antoine Dodson's 'Chimney Intruder' rocks 'Lopez Tonight.' Hide yo ears!

by Mallika Rao

Categories: Hip-Hop/Rap, Late Night, YouTube

Internet memes are giving-trees that shouldn’t be overwatered. Going on Lopez Tonight to premiere the pre-autotuned second incarnation of a spontaneous 15 minutes is, by definition, overwatering. And Antoine Dodson did it. Below, the less-charming Christmas version of “Bed Intruder“: “Chimney Intruder,” in which Santa is likened to a potential rapist. READ FULL STORY »

Dec 22 2010 12:09 PM ET

Sony unveils its iTunes competitor

by Margaret Lyons

Categories: Gadgets, Tech

Sony launched Music Unlimited today, a streaming service the company is positioning as a competitor to iTunes. The subscription-based program allows members to stream from a 6 million-song catalog to Sony devices, including PS3, Vaio computers, and web-enabled TV and Blu-ray players — but not mobile devices yet. Music Unlimited debuted in the United Kingdom and Ireland today, and it set to roll out in other countries, including the United States, in the coming months.

On the one hand, yay for the cloud. More cloud-based options are a good thing, and that’s one of the lingering issues with iTunes. On other hand, though, the big innovation — one that no one has been able to tap yet — would be mobile streaming from the cloud.

As far as streaming music through my PS3 goes, I guess that’d be cool? But I can’t see myself paying for it, especially on a monthly subscription basis.

But maybe you would, PopWatchers. Do you think Music Unlimited could topple iTunes? [Variety, WSJ, CNET]

Dec 22 2010 10:00 AM ET

The best and worst of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day TV marathons

by Mandi Bierly

Categories: Doctor Who, Happy Holidays, News You Can Use, Nostalgia, Reality TV, Television, The Real Housewives of New Jersey

Image Credit: IFC; Everett Collection; Monty Brinton/CBSWhen it comes to TV marathons this Christmas, there’s something for everyone. Here’s a sampling: On CHRISTMAS EVE, networks embracing the holiday spirit include AMC, which will alternate between the movies Miracle on 34th Street and White Christmas from 10 a.m to 6 a.m ET, and FX, which will air Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who! four times in a row starting at 6 p.m. ET. I think we can also give Animal Planet the benefit of the doubt: It’s showing Planet Earth from noon to 6 a.m. ET (peace on earth, and all). Networks that are clearly saying bah humbug, on the other hand, include A&E, which has Criminal Minds scheduled from 8 a.m. to 5 a.m. ET, and ID (Investigation Discovery), which has programmed Who the (Bleep) Did I Marry? from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. ET. That’s my personal favorite. Less offensive counterprogramming includes History’s UFO Hunters marathon from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET (with Alien History of Planet Earth breaks at 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. ET) and Syfy’s Star Trek: The Next Generation marathon from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. ET.

CHRISTMAS brings with it some cheer: AMC will show the movie Scrooged 10 times in a row, starting at 10 a.m. ET, and, of course, TBS will be continuing its 24 hours of A Christmas Story, which will have begun at 8 p.m. Christmas Eve. FX will once again push Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who!, this day airing it six times in a row starting at 7 a.m. ET. WE must have toys on the brain, booking the movie Big for three consecutive airings starting at 10:30 a.m. ET (and for those who can’t turn back the clock in the end, it leads into Golden Girls, from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. ET). VH1, perhaps wanting to give parents spending the wee hours of the morning assembling presents something fun to have on in the background, has I Love the New Millennium running from 3 a.m. to 11 a.m. ET. (It’s followed by a Best of I Love The… marathon from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET — something fun to have on in the background while they nap?). Still, I’d argue IFC is the winner this day, programming a Freaks and Geeks marathon that starts at 6 a.m. ET on Christmas and doesn’t end until 6 p.m. on Dec. 26. Other contenders include BBC America, which has Doctor Who running all day from 12 a.m., leading into the Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol special at 9 p.m. ET; the predictable Discovery with MythBusters from 10 a.m. to 3 a.m. ET; Travel Channel with Man v. Food from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET; and Bravo with The Real Housewives of New Jersey from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. ET. TNT gets points for originality, choosing to gamble on The Librarian trilogy, starring Noah Wyle, starting at 2:45 p.m. ET. The award for worst Christmas marathon goes to ID, which has the festive I (Almost) Got Away With It airing from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. ET.

Dec 21 2010 06:54 PM ET

Kid scolds parents for gifting him books for Christmas. I run to hug my 'Goodnight Moon.'

by Kate Ward

Categories: Have You Seen This?, Hell to the No!, Things That Are Sad, Things That Make Me Die Inside, Those Crazy Kids!, Viral Video!!!

If today’s new Jersey Shore trailer began humanity’s downward spiral, then this new viral video — in which a child scoffs at getting books for Christmas — has officially thrown it down far enough to uncork Jacob’s island. Yes, books for Christmas, young one. It’s what will keep you from ending up like this.

Who else is suddenly driven to donate another gift to Toys for Tots? READ FULL STORY »

Dec 21 2010 06:15 PM ET

George Lopez (probably) wants to be the mayor of Los Angeles

by Mallika Rao

Categories: Have You Seen This?, Politics as Entertainment, To Care or Not to Care

George Lopez’s eight-year plan to run for the mayorship of L.A. drew hearty laughs from the bronzed hosts of Good Day L.A. this morning during an interview with the comedian. With each new Lopez zinger (“I’m Lobama!” “My plan is to take change, not make it!”), the hosts seemed to get confused again, unsure as to whether their guest was actually unloading a press release or pulling some legs. But through all the bluster he looks and sounds serious, pointing out the obvious: “If Arnold Schwarzenegger can be governor, why can’t George Lopez be the mayor of Los Angeles?”

What say you PopWatchers? Is Lopez mayoral material or should he stick to the small screen? Watch and weigh below. READ FULL STORY »

Dec 21 2010 05:40 PM ET

Excess Hollywood: 'Cash Cab' driving to the Windy City

by Kate Ward

Categories: Casting, Deals, Excess Hollywood, Movies, Reality TV, Television

The Discovery Channel is launching a spin-off of Cash Cab set in Chicago, with Second City comedienne Beth Melewski playing Ben Bailey’s cabbie role. Can Cash Cab pay me back for the years Giordano’s has taken off my life? [Associated Press]
Gayle King and Robin Meade are set to moderate four primetime specials on OWN called Ask Oprah’s All Stars. The talk maven’s group of all-stars: Dr. Phil McGraw, Dr. Mehmet Oz, Suze Orman, and sweeeet potato. [The Wrap]
Ed Burns will appear alongside Megan Fox and Jon Hamm in Jennifer Westfeldt’s Friends With Kids. In the film, Burns plays a parent going through a divorce who romances Westfeldt’s character. Don Draper says, “What?” [MTV]
Billy Zane, Jack Huston, Jamie Harris, and Richard Portnow have all joined Two Jacks, an indie adaption of Leo Tolstoy’s “Two Hussars” short story. [Variety]
Electronic Arts Media is planning a film called Madden Curse, which is based on the jinx that supposedly strikes football players who are chosen for the cover of the Madden video game. Says Michael Vick: “What curse?” [The Wrap]