Entertainment Weekly's PopWatch Blog | PopWatch

PopWatch Entertainment Weekly's PopWatch Blog

See Categories

See Archive

Archive: June 2011 (141-150 of 401)

Jun 19 2011 11:00 AM ET

What's your favorite videogame soundtrack?

by Darren Franich

Categories: Geekery, Nostalgia, Videogames

Image Credit: Courtesy of Nintendo

Maybe the word “Ocarina” means nothing to you. It is a strange word. It could be the name of some long-lost defunct kingdom from Middle Europe, or perhaps a rare Eastern delicacy invented by Marco Polo to pad out his memoir. But if you’re someone of a certain age and temperament — someone who owned a Nintendo 64, in the long-ago era when videogame consoles were so resolutely un-chic that a major multinational corporation could actually create a controller seems specifically designed for tri-ped sewer mutants — then the word “Ocarina” can’t help but send you senselessly on a memory-spiral into The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, the classic 1998 fantasy epic that regularly hovers on the top of gamers’ top 10 lists. READ FULL STORY »

Jun 19 2011 09:00 AM ET

AFI honors Morgan Freeman: Vote for his greatest role

by Jeff Labrecque

Categories: Movies, Things That Are Awesome!

When you reflect on all the classic films that Morgan Freeman has starred in during his career, it becomes even more impressive once you realize that he’s compiled all his most brilliant work after the age of 50. Though he broke through as a terrifying pimp in 1987′s Street Smart, for which he earned his first Oscar nomination, Freeman has become legendary for instilling scores of characters with his trademark sense of quiet dignity. His voice alone is the comforting sound of gentle authority, allowing him to portray Nelson Mandela, an embattled U.S. president, Batman’s confidante, and even God. READ FULL STORY »

Jun 17 2011 07:35 PM ET

Hot Wheels might get made into a movie. Sure! Why not?

by Darren Franich

Categories: Gritty Reboots, This Would Never Fly In Sweden, Toys, Vroom.

Automobiles of all shapes and sizes are invading the multiplex. Next week, you’ll thrill to cars that talk in Cars 2: Cruise Control. Then, you’ll be positively astounded by cars that talk and walk in Transformers 3: Back 2 The Hood. But how’s this for a hot idea: Cars that… well, are cars. That’s the can’t-miss concept behind Hot Wheels: The Movie, which is a joke you probably would have laughed about back in 1981, and also an actual movie which very powerful companies are currently desperate to make. According to Variety, Legendary Pictures is negotiating with Mattel to get the rights to Hot Wheels, the series of toys beloved by generations of children who are too young for toys with any discernible traits beyond car-ness. The project is said to be “edgy,” which is a word the kids sure are tossing around a lot today according to adults. READ FULL STORY »

Jun 17 2011 06:50 PM ET

Update: Charlie Day, movie star, is happening. Help name his PopWatch category.

by Mandi Bierly

Categories: Do My Job For Me!, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Movies, Things That Are Awesome!, Waiting

Image Credit: Steve Granitz/WireImage.com

We’re starting to write about Charlie Day so often, it might be time for him to get his own PopWatch category. Feel free to nominate a name for it in the comments section. Like Skarsgard Your Loins, our reader-suggested category for Alexander Skarsagard, it should have his name in it somehow. Today’s news: Variety reports that the It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia star (and Going the Distance and Horrible Bosses scene-stealer) is in talks to join Guillermo del Toro’s alien invasion flick Pacific Rim. Per the trade, Day would play a professor, and the filmmakers, who have already tapped Sons of Anarchy‘s Charlie Hunnam, are looking to cast more rising talent. There’s no word on whether Day is the comic relief, but I’m hoping for a Jeff Goldblum in Independence Day-vibe. You?

Jun 17 2011 06:15 PM ET

Why should Cat Deeley get an Emmy nomination? Just look at last night's 'SYTYCD'!

by Kate Ward

Categories: Emmy Awards, So You Think You Can Dance, Television

Image Credit: Phil McCarten/Fox

I’ve made the argument so many times, I’m almost bored with it. But, really, I still can’t help myself: I need to push for So You Think You Can Dance host Cat Deeley to finally, finally score an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Reality Show Host.

Three whole years the category has existed without her getting a nod. READ FULL STORY »

Jun 17 2011 05:45 PM ET

'Green Lantern' and 'Mr. Popper's Penguins': What will you see this weekend?

by Adam Markovitz

Categories: Box Office Poll

Image Credit: Warner Brothers

You might think choosing between Green Lantern and Mr. Popper’s Penguins at theaters this week is as easy as checking off the appropriate kids/no kids box. But it’s not quite that simple. First of all, both Green Lantern hero — and current EW cover star — Ryan Reynolds and Popper‘s Jim Carrey are Canadian! Which means… well, actually, not much. (Except they both probably make a mean poutine.) Another important factor, especially if you’ve got kids: Reynolds wears a CG spandex onesie to fight evil, while Popper’s penguins waddle through their entire movie wearing absolutely nothing. So that’s um… again, probably not that important. Sorry folks, I’ve got nothing. READ FULL STORY »

Jun 17 2011 05:13 PM ET

Kara DioGuardi to play Roxie in Broadway's 'Chicago.' Will she bring the razzle dazzle?

by Kate Ward

Categories: American Idol, Kara DioGuardi, Stage/Theater

Image Credit: Tommaso Boddi/PR Photos

Did you think Kara DioGuardi was one funny honey on American Idol? Well, you’re in luck: The former judge and current Platinum Hit host will paint the town on the Great White Way in Chicago, a rep for the songwriter confirms. Starting on Sept. 5 for eight weeks, DioGuardi will play Roxie Hart, the merry murderess who enjoys a brush with fame after her arrest for her lover’s murder. (It’s the role played by Renée Zellweger in Rob Marshall’s big-screen version.)

Now, we’ve had a run-in with DioGuardi’s pipes a few times before — remember her season 8 finale duet with bikini girl? — so we know she can sing. Pretty darn well, at that. But can she act? READ FULL STORY »

Jun 17 2011 04:40 PM ET

Who is the coolest Muppet Baby?

by Hillary Busis

Categories: Animation, Apropos of Nothing, Awwwwww So Cuuuuuute, I Remember When It Used To Cost A Nickel, Muppets, Nostalgia, Television, Who is the coolest...

Naysayers, I know what you’re thinking right now: “That’s a trick question. The Muppet Babies are not cool.” But I’m going to have to respectfully disagree. Muppet Babies introduced a generation of kids to both Jim Henson’s beloved creations and a host of other pop culture milestones — who else saw the cartoon’s parody of Raiders of the Lost Ark long before they saw the movie itself? That alone earns the series some serious cool points. Furthermore, Muppet Babies taught us that when our rooms looked kind of weird, the best thing to do was close our eyes and make believe. This is still my general coping strategy. Finally, the babies were part of a cartoon dream team that successfully convinced children that smoking marijuana is akin to committing a triple homicide. They saved lives, people!

So even though the Muppets’ older selves are grabbing all the headlines these days, let’s take a stroll down memory lane and remember the menagerie at Nanny’s house. Read through the members of the crew, then let us know: Which Muppet Baby is the coolest one of all? READ FULL STORY »

Jun 17 2011 04:15 PM ET

What will Bella's Carolina Herrera wedding dress look like?

by Archana Ram

Categories: Fa-fa-fa-fa-fashion, Movies, Twilight

If you’re a Twi-hard, then you understand that every ounce of Breaking Dawn news is like lion to a lamb. And in the latest announcement (via Twilight‘s official Twitter page), Summit Entertainment revealed that Bella’s wedding dress has been designed by couture queen Carolina Herrera. We saw mere glimpses of the white dress in the recently released trailer — lace! a strapless cut! — so we took a look at Herrera’s previous bridal creations to see what design elements Bella could wear come Nov. 18. READ FULL STORY »

Jun 17 2011 03:50 PM ET

Best Woody Allen movie ever: 'Annie Hall'? 'Hannah and Her Sisters'? Vote now!

by Christian Blauvelt

Categories: Movies

Image Credit: Everett Collection

Yesterday, we asked you to name your favorite Woody Allen movie ever. Needless to say, the responses we received were as diverse as Allen’s oeuvre itself, from established classics like Manhattan and Hannah and Her Sisters to underrated gems like Alice and Sweet and Lowdown. Then there’s a reader who claims to have watched Everyone Says I Love You at least 10 times. That just makes me happy. EW readers still really seem to love Woody’s “earlier, funnier” movies like Bananas, Sleeper, and Love and Death, while his critically panned recent output fared surprisingly well — more than one commenter chose to stick up for Small Time Crooks, Curse of the Jade Scorpion, and even Scoop. As far as I’m concerned, though, I’m just happy to learn I’m not the only starry-eyed devotee of my personal favorite, Manhattan Murder Mystery. Wouldn’t the world be a better place if we had more Alan Alda?

Anyway, we’ve tabulated the comments and come up with a definitive list of readers’ top 10 Woody Allen flicks. It’s a career-spanning round-up: four from the ‘70s, three from the ‘80s, one from the ‘90s, and two from the past decade. Or, categorizing them by his muses: four Diane Keaton classics, three Mia Farrows, and one each for Dianne Wiest, Scarlett Johansson, and Owen Wilson. Vote for your favorite in our poll after the jump… READ FULL STORY »