Image Credit: Everett CollectionBill Erwin, a character actor whose resumé included everything from Gunsmoke to Everwood, died at his home in California on Dec. 29. He was 96.
Erwin was nominated for an Emmy for his role as Sid “The Old Man” Fields on a 1993 episode of Seinfeld, the role for which he is perhaps best remembered: READ FULL STORY »
If Gwyneth Paltrow’s recent media blitz for Country Strong is any indication, the actress is doing a darn good job — intentionally or not — to shed her formerly aloof image. In fact, after a spectacular cameo on Glee, charming appearance of Chelsea Lately, and surprising performance at the Country Music Awards, I’ve all but forgotten that she essentially anointed herself a lifestyle guru, who recommends juice cleanses and exorbitantly priced fashion. And last night, the actress further proved my point when she appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and gave me the confidence to say: Gwyneth, you rock!
Paltrow revealed — in jest, sadly — that she and Fallon had been part of a rap group called Shazzazz back in the ’80s and proceeded to share with viewers their ultra-hip music video.
Exhibit A: READ FULL STORY »
Josh Groban (with the help of Jimmy Kimmel) has a meme on his hands: singing Kanye West’s tweets. Hearing the crooner belt out “Man… whatever happened to my antique fish tank?” is truly a treat like none other. READ FULL STORY »
Image Credit: Denise Truscello/WireImage.comIt would be funny if I approached this blog post about Kim Kardashian’s “new single” as if it were a genuine music critique. Like if we pondered the poetic implications of her lyrical command to “Turn it up so I can rock the night away.” Or talked about the quality of her “vocals.” But let’s not kid ourselves. Her new song, “Turn it Up,” which she debuted over the weekend in Las Vegas, is a club track. Nothing more, maybe less.
Much like when I get sucked into a Keeping Up With the Kardashians marathon, I don’t feel bad about accepting this at face value. She’s not coming into her “music career” hoping to play Carnegie Hall or hoping to match the creative achievements of Lady Gaga’s pinky toe. The reality star is producing club music, something that can be played during her many costly appearances at Tao, Pure, Muggle, Slytherin, or whatever the cool clubs are calling themselves these days. I can’t blame the woman for wanting to produce her own soundtrack. Who wouldn’t do the same? (EW refuses to play my Celtic vocal recordings when I enter the building every morning. Call me jealous.)
So while my innate reaction is to stick lit matches in my ears before pressing play on the video below, I won’t — and you shouldn’t either. 1) I’ve warned you. 2) Sticking lit matches in your ears if never a good idea. And 3) You’ve probably listened to worse. READ FULL STORY »
Image Credit: Solarpix/PR PhotosThe days of seeing Simon Cowell at the American Idol judges table sitting behind a large Coke glass are really gone. Fox has announced Pepsi as the official beverage sponsor of The X Factor. “The comprehensive sponsorship of The X Factor by Pepsi includes an extensive, multi-platform off-air marketing partnership; weekly in-show integrations and placements; and an immersive content experience online. Pepsi will be the exclusive beverage sponsor of The X Factor both on and off-air,” the release says. Why is the partnership perfect, besides sticking it to Idol? Pepsi is quick to remind you of its “historic, unforgettable campaigns with pop icons like Michael Jackson, Madonna, Britney Spears, and more recently, Snoop Dogg.” That’s actually a decent argument. If Pepsi is smart, they’ll ask Cowell to film some videos in which he critiques the performances in those commercials. With some creative editing, that could be fun, right?
Personally, I would hate to be on a show sponsored by Pepsi because I am a Coke girl. Yes, I can tell the difference, and I remember having a strong preference (unlike Cowell, apparently) by the time I was a freshman in college (and arguing about it in COM 101). Today, if I’m someplace that carries Pepsi products, I’ll order a Sierra Mist, not a Pepsi — unless I’m in desperate need of caffeine. (Editor’s note: Mandi, you’re crazy. Pepsi is the choice of a new generation! Again.) It’s smart of the soft drinks to target shows with a young audience, because I imagine most of us have established loyalty by the time we’re adults. Let’s take it to a poll!
Read more:
‘The X Factor’ exclusive: First look at Fox’s promo!
Simon Cowell’s rep on ‘X-Factor’ judges: ‘No decisions made’
Simon Cowell confirms his departure from ‘American Idol’ this season
Never underestimate the power of advertising. All it takes is a cute cat, an eccentric character, or, heck, a nebulous blob suffering a severe identity crisis, to encourage us to head over to our local grocery store/convenience store/bar, etc., to pick up corporate America’s latest offering. That’s why this month, we’re bringing you EW’s Big Shill bracket game, which celebrates the country’s finest advertising icons — and pits them head-to-head in a battle for supremacy. In our first round, Six Flags’ Mr. Six dances off against Wendy’s “Where’s the Beef” lady in the Human Category, alongside Dos Equis’ The Most Interesting Man in the World and Isuzu’s Joe Isuzu. In our Creatures Category, the Taco Bell Chihuahua fights 9Lives Cat Food’s Morris the Cat for household pet bragging rights, while Domino’s The Noid tries to out-annoy Mucinex’s Mr. Mucus. Who will be left standing? Only one way to find out: Vote for which advertising icons reign supreme after the jump. (And read the competitors’ stats below to help you make your decision.) It’s up to you, PopWatchers: Whose shilling gets top billing? You can check out the entire bracket here, because you know you’re already looking forward to a potential Sweet 16 match-up between the Energizer Bunny and the Vlasic pickles stork?
Welcome back! I’ve missed all of you. It’s hard to believe this is season 21 of The Bachelor/Bachelorette. That is an amazing run in network TV, and I want to thank you for making that happen. As you all know, we tried something a little different this season. For the first time in the show’s history, we brought back a Bachelor for a “do-over.” The reaction to Brad has been mixed; many of you were skeptical and some of you were even a little angry. I have to admit, I kind of like that. We’ve never gone into a season where our Bachelor or Bachelorette wasn’t your overwhelming favorite. It’s going to be very interesting to begin this season with someone who, from the start, needs to prove himself to not only the women on the show but also to you, our fans. Believe me when I tell you that none of this pressure was lost on Brad — or me for that matter. When Brad and I met up that first night, despite his trademark smile and Texas charm I could tell this guy was feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders. Say what you will about Brad — you have to give the man credit for stepping up and owning what he did. He hasn’t just said, “I’m sorry” and moved on with life in Austin. He has stepped up to prove publicly in front of the entire world that he is a changed man. He is essentially putting all his chips on the table for one roll of the dice. If he comes off as anything less than sincere or committed to this, he knows he’ll be run out of town. That’s why my final words of advice to him that first night were “don’t screw this up.” READ FULL STORY »
Truer words, y’all. As we learned tonight, bastard-turned-Bachelor Brad Womack had better put a ring on some lucky girl’s finger this season or else he will be hunted down and flayed alive by a nation of scorned women. Good thing he has lots of “quality” “ladies” to choose from, including a model with fake fangs, a Tragic Single Mom©, and a brunette who was once dumped for having too much junk in her trunk. But the real question is, has Brad redeemed himself in your eyes? Now that you’ve watched tonight’s episode, do you think three years of therapy and the soul-scorching heat of intense blogosphere condemnation has made Brad worthy of this second shot at Bachelor-hood? And which bachelorette are you rooting for? Sound off below, rose lovers! Let the “journey” begin! (UPDATE: Click over now to read Kristen Baldwin’s full Bachelor season premiere recap and Chris Harrison’s EW exclusive Bachelor blog.)
Image Credit: Jacob CohlNow that dancer-stuntman Christopher Tierney is on the mend after suffering fractures of his skull, ribs, and vertebrae in an accident at a Dec. 20 performance of Broadway’s Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, producer Michael Cohl tells EW exclusively that Tierney is welcome back on the show whenever he’s ready. “Absolutely, there’s always a spot for him any time he wants,” says Cohl, who remains hopeful that the show will be accident free by its Feb. 7 official debut.
Cohl also admits that Tierney’s injury and departure made an impact on the entire cast and crew. “It definitely had an effect on all of us. You always feel for anyone who’s injured, especially Chris, who’s such a great guy,” he says. “You have to steel yourself and understand what we’re doing and move forward.”
More Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark:
‘Spider-Man’ stuntman set to be released from rehab center
‘Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark’ exclusive: Bono and The Edge will be in NYC next week to attend all preview performances
‘Spider-Man’ stunt double injured after crashing to stage
Boardwalk Empire might be the most gorgeous show on television. The first season of the gangster drama was overstuffed with lavish visuals — raucous Prohibition parties, a lively GOP Convention, and period-perfect recreations of Manhattan, Chicago, and Atlantic City. The most impressive visual is right there in the title: Every episode prominently featured the boardwalk, which is actually a massive set in Brooklyn enhanced by what one can assume is a ludicrously expensive set of digital effects. Brainstorm Digital, the company behind most of Boardwalk‘s effects, has just released a video showing how they make the magic happen. There’s lots of eye candy here — thrill to the site of giant blue screens surrounding the boardwalk! — but some of the most interesting effects are the subtle ones, like the dead body floating upside-down in the water. Best moment of the video: seeing Jack Huston, a.k.a. Richard Harrow, before the effects people turn him into Mr. Half-Face. Check it out below: READ FULL STORY »
