Perhaps no character in the Harry Potter universe came as far as Ron Weasley. Harry was always heroic, and Hermione was brilliant from the get-go, but Ron began as the designated doofus — J.K. Rowling’s veritable red-headed stepchild. Of course, Ron’s journey becomes as essential as any in the battle against Voldemort, and Rupert Grint has successfully managed to show every side of Ron through the years, from slack-jawed goober to romantic hero. READ FULL STORY »
Image Credit: Steve Granitz/WireImage.com
Much like the books they’re based on, the casting for The Hunger Games has already jolted its fans with some unexpected twists. While there had been some speculation that rocker Lenny Kravitz would step in the role of Katniss’ flashy, but friendly, stylist Cinna, most HG fans had hedged their bets on actor Cillian Murphy. But — and forgive me for this one, PopWatchers — Gary Ross and Co., opted to go Kravitz’s way instead.
I’m sure my initial reaction sounded not unlike a good portion of you (“Really?!?“), but then I remembered Kravtiz’s performance as a male nurse in 2009′s harrowing Precious. He was good. Actually, really, very good, for the short amount of time he was on screen. READ FULL STORY »
Image Credit: Peter Mountain/Disney
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides revolves around a quest to find the Fountain of Youth. Where’s that fountain located, anyway?
Stories of springs containing magical, life-extending waters date back at least to the ancient Greek historian Herodotus. But when Juan Ponce de Leon set off to find the Fountain in the 16th century, he headed to a place now known as a sanctuary for the elderly: Florida. The Caribbean Arawak tribe, however, believed that the Fountain was located in Bimini, an island in the Bahamas. Today, St. Augustine, FL — the oldest continuously occupied, non-Native American city in the U.S. — still boasts a tourist attraction called Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park. (Bonus: It’s just a two-hour drive from there to the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disney World!)
So was Ponce de Leon a pirate?
Not unless “pirate” just means “a guy who sailed around a lot.” READ FULL STORY »
Image Credit: Rick Rockwell/ABC
Let’s face it: It’s standard practice in all reality shows for producers not to reveal to contestants what is said in confessionals. But you may be wishing they would when the show is The Bachelorette, and there’s a guy like Bentley (pictured) openly admitting to the camera that, “Ashley’s a sweet girl, but there’s no question that Ashley doesn’t have the checklist that I’m looking for in a future wife. I can tell you right now it’s not gonna work. I, to be honest with you, could almost care less. Things could’ve turned out differently if the Bachelorette was Emily [Maynard]” and “I couldn’t give a [bleep] about her.” It’s tough to watch Ashley fall for the guy knowing from the “this season on The Bachelorette” promo embedded below that she’ll end up in the fetal position sobbing over him (or at least that’s what we’re led to believe). But then again, Ashley did get a warning from a franchise alum who’s friends with Bentley’s ex-wife claiming that he’s not on the show “for the right reasons” — and she chose not to ask him point blank about it because he’s hot. (Instead, she just asked him to always be honest with her and gave him a rose last, which, I’m guessing, hurt his pride enough to make him want to play her ever harder.) So, what’s your verdict? Vote in the poll below. READ FULL STORY »
Most of the chatter around the Call of Duty franchise focuses on the games’ multiplayer system, which, depending on your perspective, is either a brilliant stealth method for teaching the youth of America how to approach situations strategically… or an online fifth-grade frathouse where barely pubescent goons invent colorful new idiot-slang while killing untold billions of digi-people. But the single-player storylines for recent Call of Duty games have also been interesting, and by interesting, I mean bananas. That’s especially true of the Modern Warfare series, which has featured a Russian invasion of America, a controversial level that practically forced you to kill innocent civilians, enough paranoid double-crosses to fill several seasons of 24, and a poetically hilarious mini-level about an ill-fated astronaut. The trailer for Modern Warfare 3 just hit the internet, and if the scenes are any indication, the game will feature nothing less than the complete destruction of the world. England, France, and Germany — I’m sorry, “3NGLAND,” “FRANC3,” and “G3RMANY” — get wrecked, and it looks like New York is getting the Michael Bay treatment. Nihilistic, apocalyptic, and quite probably the fastest-selling entertainment thing in history: Who’s excited for Nov. 8th? Watch the trailer after the jump… READ FULL STORY »
Image Credit: Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP Images
As we now know, the world didn’t end on Saturday, contrary to the prophecies of California preacher Harold Camping who had predicted the Rapture would occur over the weekend.
Image Credit: Dario Cantatore/Getty Images
As if seeing a free scene from The Book of Mormon wasn’t enough reason for us to watch the Tonys this year. The night’s newly-announced list of presenters includes Daniel Radcliffe, Jim Parsons, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Whoopi Goldberg, Chris Rock, Alec Baldwin, Samuel L. Jackson, Kelsey Grammer, Viola Davis, Vanessa Redgrave, James Earl Jones, Harry Connick, Jr., Christie Brinkley, David Hyde Pierce, Marg Helgenberger, Matthew Broderick, Angela Lansbury, Joel Grey, Patrick Wilson, and Robert Morse. Here’s to hoping that Radcliffe, Broderick, and Morse — three generations of actors to star on Broadway in How to Succeed — present together as their character J. Pierrepont Finch. READ FULL STORY »
It’s bulletproof, boasts its own oxygen supply in case of chemical attack, and, presumably, is also outfitted with a kick-ass surround sound system (all the better to blast Common) — but it can’t surmount a wee Irish curb. Meet the armored Cadillac that quickly became famous yesterday when a video of it getting caught on some pesky raised concrete hit Youtube. The vehicle, a member of President Obama’s fleet, was “carrying staff and support personnel only” when it got stuck exiting the American embassy in Dublin, according to the Secret Service — but that doesn’t make the following clip any less awesome. Imagine a record scratch noise around the 12 second mark for maximum hilarity. READ FULL STORY »
Hurry, girls! If you wear Someday, Justin Bieber’s new Fan Exclusive eau de parfum, he might kiss your neck, he might give you the key to his heart, he might give you a piggy-back ride. And he will never let go. I’d like to say more, but I can’t compete with the fragrance’s marketing pitch:
“Someday by Justin Bieber is more than just a fragrance: it’s energy with a state-of-mind that inspires. It is a personal gift straight from his heart, giving fans a chance to get one step closer to Justin. It’s a fragrance he can’t get enough of and can’t stay away from, making those who wear it irresistible.”
Watch the commercial below, and decide whether it captures the magic of the old Obsession ads or if it makes you want to bite into a York Peppermint Pattie. READ FULL STORY »
Image Credit: Michael Becker/Fox
Last season, Crystal Bowersox was hands down the clear winner over Lee DeWyze, and yet Lee won. Why? To get wildly, obnoxiously reductive for a second, I think in part it was because Casey James’ fans were more into voting for another cute boy troubadour than a singer-songwriter mama with dreadlocks. Voter migration likely had an even bigger influence on the outcome of season 8, when Danny Gokey’s fans clearly flocked more to Kris Allen’s wholesome song stylings than Adam Lambert’s platform-shoed glam pop. And in season 6, it’s a safe bet that Melinda Doolittle and LaKisha Jones’ fans were more aligned with what Jordin Sparks was offering than beat-boxing Blake Lewis.
You see what I’m getting at here, right? READ FULL STORY »
