Archive: September 2011 (121-130 of 316)

Sep 21 2011 09:00 AM ET

In a fight, how will 'Real Steel' compare to your favorite robot movies?

real-steel

Image Credit: DreamWorks/Disney

In Hollywood, only evil robots are truly robotic. For every relentless killing machine, like the ones depicted in the Terminator franchise, there are scores of “clinking, clanking, clattering collections of caliginous junk” who reveal that humanity isn’t exclusively human. In fact, some robots prove to be more humane than their creators. Hence, the key to a great robot movie it to convey something true about our flesh-and-bone selves. Orrrrrr… to shatter the eyeballs of the audience with a CG-enhanced wargasm of violence with apocalyptic ramifications. The best robot movies, actually, do both, marrying the spectacular with the profound. It’s not an easy task, but Real Steel, Hugh Jackman’s robot-boxing movie that opens in theaters Oct. 7, aims to connect on both accounts. Atom, the underdog robot Jackson’s over-the-hill pug teaches to be a prizefighter, resembles the Iron Giant and seems to have the heart of a champion.

But will the movie ultimately take its place in the class of the greatest robot movies of all time? How will it compare with Terminator 2: Judgment Day — chosen for this poll over its predecessor because it features two battling robots — or the sublimely poetic WALL•E? What is your favorite robot movie ever made? Vote below. READ FULL STORY »

Sep 20 2011 11:00 PM ET

'Raising Hope': Is it the next 'Parks and Recreation'?

Raising-Hope-premiere

Image Credit: Ray Mickshaw/Fox

It seems like just yesterday (*actually, it was late last year/early this year) that all the critics were rallying behind a little show called Parks and Recreation. The show, after garnering a depressing average viewership of 4.6 million in its second season, was in much need of this support going into its third season, which started in January of this year. So critics rallied around it, praising its sharp humor and outstanding cast. (Some magazine called it the Smartest Comedy on TV.) Why? Because this show was worth it, and nothing pains the media-types more than seeing a worthy show go out before its time. (We tried, Lone Star. We tried.)

Now, less than one year later, I think the work that’s gone into getting more people to watch Parks has been well worth it. Not only did the show experience some growth and snag an Emmy nom (go Amy!), but more people than ever I come across know the name. To me, that’s success. This year, I have a feeling efforts have shifted toward bringing attention to another fantastic and underloved show: Raising Hope. READ FULL STORY »

Sep 20 2011 09:59 PM ET

'Dancing With the Stars': Eliminated contestant is....

Update: Annie’s recap is live. Don’t click through if you don’t want to know! After a live one-hour “Meet the Cast” special and and the first official results show of season 13, the couple heading home from Dancing With the Stars with no hope of eventually secreting sparkles in their hard-earned sweat (ewwww)…. is…. coming up, after the break! READ FULL STORY »

Sep 20 2011 09:10 PM ET

Steve Martin's Oscar hosting advice to Eddie Murphy: 'Whatever you do, don't have a co-host.'

bowfinger-Martin-Murphy

The grand fellowship of Academy Award hosts is a small and storied one indeed — Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg, Chris Rock, Jon Stewart, Wolverine, Catwoman, etc. Whenever someone new enters its ranks, I’m certain there’s some kind of inauguration ceremony, probably involving doing a trust fall into a high kicking chorus line while exorcising demons of bad ceremonies past by screaming “OPRAH! UMA!” until your throat bleeds. Or maybe just a nice luncheon at Spago.

Anyhoots, my “point” is, advice is likely given, passed down from veteran hosts to newbies — and, usually, it’s in private. But thankfully, multiple Oscar host Steve Martin just put his advice to upcoming rookie host, and former Bowfinger co-star, Eddie Murphy on his website for all to see. They are wise words indeed, and you can read them in full below: READ FULL STORY »

Sep 20 2011 07:45 PM ET

'Harry Potter' encourages kids to read, but 'Star Wars' has Wookiees. Which franchise is better?

Star-Wars-Harry-Potter

Image Credit: Lucasfilm; Peter Mountain

The final installment of the Harry Potter franchise, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2, appeared in theaters July 15. But, don’t worry, guys: Our obsession with the beloved series continues to thrive. Not only will we be able to enjoy the books for years to come, but we will also be able to soon enjoy the entire franchise on Blu-ray until Blu-ray becomes obsolete when the future just implants movies directly in our brains.

Over at MTV (and embedded below), you can check out a sneak peek at footage from an extra, in which J.K. Rowling talks to star Daniel Radcliffe about Harry Potter. And the actor who lived through 10 years of unyielding fandom dropped an interesting nugget in his interview: “I always think that that’s one of the wonderful things about Potter and the Potter fanbase … If you think about the other big costume-wearing [franchises] that go with it, things like Star Wars and Star Trek, with Potter, because it started off as a literary thing, has created a generation of the same kind of mentality … with an appetite for reading and literature, which is kind of amazing.”

Wait, hold the Hedwig: Did Radcliffe just say that Harry Potter is better than Star Wars? READ FULL STORY »

Sep 20 2011 06:50 PM ET

Steven Spielberg says Lincoln biopic will cover final months of his life -- so what will we miss?

Steven-Spielberg

Image Credit: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

A few years, a couple stars and a lot of rumors later, the long-awaited Abraham Lincoln biopic looks to be making its first steps toward theaters.

Director Steven Spielberg told the Orlando Sentinel that although Lincoln will be based on Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin, it will focus on the last four months of Lincoln’s life — meaning the film would cover roughly the time from Dec., 1864 until his death on April 15, 1865.

Obviously, a lot happened during those four months, but a good deal happened outside of them as well. READ FULL STORY »

Sep 20 2011 06:30 PM ET

'Glee' returns tonight: How does that make you feel?

Adam Rose/Fox

How do you feel about that headline? Are you so happy, you want to break out into song, or so angry, you just want to break something? Well, no matter how you feel, EW is here to serve your Glee needs. Sometime after the show, all my fellow Gleeks can log on to read my regular recap of the premiere to discuss what’s going on at McKinley High now that our little singers are starting another year and another run at the Nationals. (I’m personally a little excited to see Sue’s bid for Congress and all the insanity that will come from that, not to mention Mercedes’ new beau — yes, I said beau.)

But if you’ve groaned at every Glee headline this summer (and boy, were there a few) or are just waiting to unleash your latest rant  carefully crafted argument about how Glee is contributing to the downfall of society, join Keith Staskiewicz back here on PopWatch tomorrow for the first of his weekly meetings of the Diss-a-Glee Club. It’s always nice to meet with like-minded folk. Until then, you can watch tonight’s season premiere with us on our new second-screen app, EW.com’s ViEWer. Just click here to try it out. Do it!

Read more:
‘Glee’ scoop: Spoiler Room Emmys Edition
‘Glee’ spoilers! Ryan Murphy unveils premiere episode, vows to ‘never say people are leaving’
‘Glee’ scoop: Time to add a new hottie?

Sep 20 2011 06:07 PM ET

'Dancing With the Stars': Your Hidden Gems of the season 13 premiere!

Studies have shown that Hidden Gems of the Week, EW.com’s collection of reader-submitted ridiculata, is the best way to enjoy Dancing With the Stars without ever having to turn it on. It’s a visual feast of sparkles, fringe, and stunning awkwardness. Ready to go down the rabbit hole? Behold this bountiful smattering of Visible Gems! READ FULL STORY »

Sep 20 2011 06:00 PM ET

'HIMYM' poll: Which one of Ted's girlfriends have you liked the best? The least?

Ashley-Williams

Image Credit: Cliff Lipson/CBS

“Noooo!” Those were the only words I could seem to muster out (okay, shout) when Ted’s ex Victoria (Ashley Williams) re-emerged out of nowhere during the second episode of last night’s seventh season premiere of How I Met Your Mother.

I couldn’t tell whether it was the initial shock (there was a lot of frustrating information to take in last night, including whether Barney is marrying Nora or Robin) or whether I was disappointed that Victoria was back in general that made me react that way. But why would I be mad that she’s returned, cupcakes and all? After all, the only reason I vehemently rooted against Victoria when she was introduced in the first season is because I was too busy rooting for Ted and Robin to finally make a go of it.  READ FULL STORY »

Sep 20 2011 04:56 PM ET

Disney World opening 'Avatar'-themed land. James Cameron, should we be concerned?

Categories: Avatar, Theme Parks

It’s been almost two years since James Cameron taught us all a valuable lesson about the effects of pollution on adorable blue monsters in Avatar, which became the highest-grossing film ever made thanks to its horrifically influential use of 3-D technology. But we all knew that virtual 3-D was never going to be good enough for Cameron, and now we have proof: A joint press release from Walt Disney Parks & Resorts and Fox Filmed Entertainment has just announced plans to open an Avatar-themed land in Florida’s Walt Disney World, inside of the conservation-themed Animal Kingdom park. Cameron even teased that the park would involve settings from the upcoming Avatar sequels: “With two new Avatar films currently in development, we’ll have even more locations, characters and stories to explore,” said the filmmaker. READ FULL STORY »

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