Was TV writer/producer Bruno Heller listening in on my family's Thanksgiving road trip or something? Just four days ago, the assembled Vozick-Levinsons were drivin' down the highway, lamentin' last year's early demise of HBO's Rome. Sure, we understood that it must have been prohibitively expensive to keep constructing those awesomely realistic sets. But come on. Just two short seasons, with so much more ancient history left to explore? Couldn't they make a movie or something?
Turns out they can! Heller, who co-created Rome, just confirmed the rumors that he's been thinking about continuing the series on the big screen. Even better (SPOILER ALERT!), he's hinting that Kevin McKidd's character might not be quite as deceased as he seemed at the end of season 2 — which is great news for anyone who thinks McKidd is destined for bigger places than the sidelines of Seattle Grace. Anyway, nothing's for sure yet: "It's not there until it is there," Heller cautions in that Hollywood Reporter story. "I would love to round that show off." He can consider this official notice that I (and my parents and sister) would totally love for him to round that show off, too. Anyone else ready to follow Rome to the multiplex?
A great moment from a Thanksgiving classic (see today's Quote of the Day). Gotta love how Dylan Baker (Dylan Baker?!) pretty much steals this scene from Steve Martin and John Candy — not an easy thing to do.
A meteor hurtling out of the sky, as captured by the dashboard camera of a police car in Edmonton, Canada. I think this looks cooler than anything a Hollywood f/x shop could've produced.
The Rock n' Roll Means Well tour pulled in to L.A. last night, marking the final evening of an earth-shaking, booze-guzzling road match between the Hold Steady and the Drive-By Truckers, two bands born of disparate geographical landscapes yet inextricably linked by their commitment to the art of the amp attack. This marked the third straight Thanksgiving week I've had the pleasure of consuming way too much whiskey while pumping my fist in the air to Craig Finn and his Brooklyn brothers -- if they're not on tour next fall, I fully expect them to come play at my house -- and the third time in two months I've seen DBT do their Southern thing. But it wasn't until Finn told a new Hold Steady origin myth that I understood the connection I was missing: After Lifter Puller closed up shop, Finn moved to NYC from Minnesota hoping to do "comedy, writing, some New York s---." Instead, "turns out I just started drinking." Then he saw DBT at the Bowery Ballroom, and thought, "Wait a minute. That looks fun." Insert rhapsodical statement about the transformative powers of great music here.
So consider these two bands sonic soulmates, sharing a taste for massive guitar glory -- DBT's patented three-axe assault howling like air brakes on the highway, or Tad Kubler of the HS whipping out the double-necker -- along with a tendency to revisit themes, locations, and characters in their songs. (The gods of DBT's Alabama no doubt had a horrid influence on the HS's Holly, provided she was ever sober enough to know what she was listening to.) There was plenty of physical crossover last night, too: DBT guitarist John Neff lent pedal steel to the HS on "Cheyenne Sunrise," DBT singer Patterson Hood (pictured above, with Finn) contracted some of the HS frontman's pleading, outstretched energy on "The Company I Keep," and both bands collided for an encore that started with covers of the Minutemen's "History Lesson (Part II)," AC/DC's "Ride On," and the Band's "Look Out Cleveland," then motored home with DBT's "Let There Be Rock" and HS's "Killer Parties." At some point, I believe there was a man in a gorilla suit on stage. I wish I'd been more focused toward the end, but HS played the calf-shredding duo of "Stuck Between Stations" and "Your Little Hoodrat Friend" back to back mid-set and everything beyond that got a little blurry.
After the jump, I stop typing and just put up some of the photos I took last night while trying to control my excitement long enough to, if you'll pardon the phrase, hold the camera steady. Yes, Craig Finn: There is so much joy in what you do. Happy Thanksgiving, PopWatchers...
The Fleetwood Mac bassist turns 63 today, and as a gift (for us as much as for Mr. McVie, really) let's revisit his stunning work on the band's classic "The Chain." I just so happened to be playing this track on a roadtrip this past weekend, and honestly, there's nothing quite like cranking up the volume once McVie's chill-inducing bassline kicks in at the 3:05 mark.
Yesterday's New York Times featured an article on the AccoLade, an all-girl band that could possibly be the most reckless, punk-rock group of bad-asses making music today. These four female college students have managed to form a band and cut a single, "Pinocchio" (available at their MySpace page), which has become an underground sensation in the ultraconservative kingdom of Saudi Arabia. For the AccoLade to rock, they have to exist in the shadows, rehearsing in secret, shrouding their face-piercings under traditional garb, and shying away from being photographed because they live in a country where women aren't allowed to drive cars or walk outside without
their faces covered, let alone play the Devil's Music from the West.
It's amazing to see how powerful music can be in helping break down barriers and bring people together. But real change also takes heroically courageous people, and the ladies of the AccoLade are willing to stick their necks out and flip-off the establishment -- in this case, an extremely oppressive, authoritarian establishment. Hopefully, the Times article doesn't set Saudi's religious authorities out on a (wo)manhunt to find and punish the ladies who flaunted their strict laws in the Western media. Rock-loving PopWatchers can lend a hand, though, by going to the AccoLade's MySpace page, checking out the song, and leaving a comment pledging support.
Certainly, the AccoLade aren't alone, so let us know if you're a fan of any other artists trying to exist under oppressive regimes who are also risking their very well-being for their right to rock (or rap...or write...or whatever).
Congratulations go out to one of my all-time favorite artists, Jody Watley, who scored a top 5 hit last week on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play chart with "A Beautiful Life." It's the 32nd Billboard top 10 of her career, according to her publicist, and in case you're wondering, it's a Watley original (co-written with Rodney Lee), not a remake of Ace of Base's "Beautiful Life." I've been obsessed with the empowering anthem since Watley's last album, The Makeover, dropped way back in August 2006. But as is often the case with indie artists, the climb to success can be slow and steady, so it's nice to see a larger audience finally embracing Watley's ditty about breaking free from an unhealthy relationship. In fact, it kinda makes you wonder why there's no room on Top 40 radio for a hook this sticky, sung by a voice that's only grown richer and more nuanced with time. No matter, though, because "A Beautiful Life" is on my Must List this week (and for the foreseeable future).
What about you, PopWatchers? What beautiful things are on your Must List this week? List up to three items from current TV/movies/music/books/games/online. Don't forget your e-mail address, in case we decide to use your submission in the magazine. Deadline is early this week, thanks to Turkey Day, so post your picks by Wednesday, Nov. 26, at 10 a.m. ET.
This may just be the cynical side of me, but did anyone else happen to find last night's episode of The Hills, in which Audrina and Lauren fought over a rumor that Lauren had hooked up with Justin Bobby, to be one of the best episodes of the series to date? There was raw emotion, bleeps due to the usage of swear words, tears, and shouting—just the sort of combination that this show needs in order to be revived from its dullness. Heck, the MTV producers ought to take a cue from last night and just start spreading rumors about these girls just to see what they can catch on tape. (I can see it now: "Excuse me, Stephanie. Yeah, we just wanted to tell you that Lo posted a blog that says you have herpes. And, if you could wait until the cameras are rolling to chew her out, that would be great.")
On to the best and worst moments of the evening (along with helpful DVR time codes).
After tonight's episode ended, I called Doc Horowitz and said, "I gotta get in to see you. I think something is wrong with me. I think I'm losing my edge. Going soft. Can you run a test or something, see what's what?"
He asked me for my symptoms.
I said, "I felt badly for Randy getting played at tribal council like a banjo at a small town country fair. (Yes, I know, bad analogy and small town and country fair are probably redundant.)
Recognizing the severity of my condition, he immediately cancelled his morning appointments to squeeze me in. I'm waiting on the results.
In the meantime, I try to make sense of it all. Randy is a bitter man with a ton of enemies, and he had this coming like a kid who sticks a fork in a toaster. (Was that one any better?) He deserved what he got like Survivor deserves an Emmy.
So why did I feel bad? Maybe there is just something about Randy that I can relate to and sympathize with. Oh, he will hate me saying it like that.
True confession: I haven't been tuning in to VH1's A Real Chance at Love quite as often as I'd like to. But it still brings me a deep sense of contentment just to know that this I Love New York/I Love Money spinoff starring two of my favorite reality contestants ever is out there in the world. And it's made me even happier to discover that Chance and Real have embarked on a musical career as the Stallionaires. Really! The two Stallionaires we know and love are joined in the group by their little brother, who is named...Micah. (They ran out of nicknames, I guess?)
Anyway, when a friend sent me the Stallionaires' single "Does She Love Me" this week, I clicked "play" hoping to enjoy it ironically at best. Much to my ongoing shock, I found that this song has way more than idle LOLs to offer. I am not sure which of these super-talented siblings is singing which parts, but I don't even care. I can't get that hook out of my head. Seriously, "Does She Love Me" is way better than, say, a solid half of the tracks on the new Akon album. Listen below, and tell me I'm wrong to think Chance and Real (and Micah) might have a career ahead of them that extends beyond dating-competition shows.
There's a show on The CW that we think you should be watching and it's not Gossip Girl, for a change. It's Privileged. I'm seeing the ratings drop (15 percent this week from the week before), and I'm not sure why. Yes, Anne Archer's storyline has been a bit of a snooze (playing a successful, sexy grandma with a past, the Fatal Attraction star deserves better — let's hope she gets it) but the chemistry between her teen granddaughters' nanny/tutor, Megan (the delightful Joanna Garcia), and the rich hunk next door, Will (the man-candy-that-can-actually-act Brian Hallisay), is getting seriously steamy. The relationship between prickly Sage (Ashley Newbrough) and her decent twin Rose (Lucy Hale) is getting surprisingly complicated. And the smartass family chef Marco (scene-stealer Allan Louis, pictured with Garcia) is getting highly entertaining.
The next new episode of Privileged won't air until December (in its regular Tuesday, 9 p.m. EDT timeslot), so take this time to catch up, folks. And if you were a fan of the show but abandoned it, tell us what it can do to bring you back...
People's Sexiest Man Alive issue hits stands Friday, with Australia's Hugh Jackman taking this year's title. I was in complete agreement...until I flipped through the gallery teasing 15 of People's picks, saw a photo of Mad Men's Jon Hamm (pictured, near left), and ovulated. Recount! Vote in the poll below, please. I am confident that you will make the right decision and not be swayed by the shirtless photo of Jackman that Slezak demanded we use for this post because (a) he wants Hugh to win and (b) he is a traffic whore. (Note: There is no "other" option in our poll because there is no other option. But feel free to make your case in the comments section.)
After you vote for Hamm, let us know who else you're hoping to see on People's Sexiest list this Friday. The sneak peak gallery shows that the obvious choices are covered — Daniel Craig, Twilight's Robert Pattinson, Zac Efron, Michael Phelps (I guess I'm the only one officially over that torso?), and Javier Bardem (who Slezak says could punch him in the face and still receive his vote). There's also a few semi-surprises: Mark-Paul Gosselaar (?!), Joshua Jackson, and country singer Blake Shelton (who I'm having a beer an interview with tomorrow). Surprise, surprise, I'm pulling for Desperate Housewives' Gale Harold, while Slezak is lobbying for True Blood's Ryan Kwaten (because he knows Lipstick Jungle's Robert Buckley has already made the cut).
Neil Patrick Harris -- one of EW's 2008 Entertainers of the Year -- took time out from balancing on low-level brick structures to tell Whitney about his most excellent year, make suggestions for a Dr. Horrible sequel (wire work!), and remind us of the existence of Hole in the Wall. Press play below, and visit EW.com's Entertainers of the Year hub for more exclusive videos from the Chosen Ones.
I'm going to have to issue a respectful but firm "Hell no!" to my man Dave Greenwald's recent call for a "Moratorium on Hip-Hop Christmas Songs." Sure, the Gap ad that inspired his post is pretty wack on the merits. I don't think anyone needed to hear Flo Rida, Trey Songz, and least of all Rainn Wilson yammering about jingle bells. But does that mean happy-holidays rap is "always a bad idea," as Dave argues? Surely not. Sometimes it can be an idea so wrong, it's right — so incongruous, so unnecessary, that it's a miracle of sorts unto itself.
Just look at the contributions Harlem hustler Jim Jones has made to the form. He dropped the wonderfully WTF-worthy A Dipset Xmasin '06. And this season he's following it up with a project titled Jim Jones & Skull Gang Present A Tribute to Bad Santa Starring Mike Epps. Now, Bad Santa, while an excellent film on all counts, came out five years ago. And Mike Epps wasn't even in that movie! Meanwhile, are the song samples Jones is streaming online actually "good"? Absolutely not. (Sample lyric: "How can I be without money on Christmas Eve?/Cause I'm thinkin' of robbin' you…") All of which makes this a kitsch masterwork in the making. Someone actually went to the trouble of following through on this strange, strange concept. Just let that sink in for a minute. It's like the Star Wars Holiday Special of rap mixtapes! Seriously, Jim Jones might have just stumbled upon the ideal Chanukah present for someone like me.
In closing: Dude, "Christmas in Hollis"! Any genre that includes that stone-cold classic (after the jump) can't be all bad. Can it?
No need to bury the lead. One of my favorite moments of the entire season happened about seven minutes into this episode. Corrine's reaction to Marcus being voted out. It was almost as good as waiting for Santa to come.
First the Macaulay Culkin "hands to the face" reaction made famous in Home Alone and then the verbal response that revealed the rest of her truth: "I'm pissed. He didn't deserve to leave the game."
Which prompted Kenny's very fair question, "Who does?"
This is why we are still on the air and why I still love hosting Survivor after 17 seasons. Human nature. It is nearly impossible to hide our true selves, especially in times of conflict.
The most adorable and second-most adorable — I'll let you decide who's in which place — have to be Wall-E and EVE, from Pixar's super-awesome Wall-E. Just thinking of them makes me let out a little "Awww." And NASA's late Mars Phoenix Lander is a strong third-place contender after them. So sad! But I think the bronze is gonna have to go to my new pal Burn-E, the star of a seven-and-a-half-minute short that Wall-E lead animator Angus MacLane directed for the new Wall-E DVD. You can check the little guy out below (h/t) if you can't wait to buy the DVD next week. Burn-E, whose adventure takes place at the same time as Wall-E, is a repair robot on the Axiom spacecraft. All your favorite human and technological characters make cameos as he struggles to fix a broken gizmo of some kind. And there's a very nice score by Wall-E orchestrator J.A.C. Redford. Pretty great stuff, no?
UPDATE: Broken YouTube link replaced with a new one below. If this one disappears, too...well, go out and buy the DVD next week!
Back in ye olde October, Slezak asked for the actors, musicians and general phenomenons that most delighted you this year. Judging from the hundreds of responses (barring the 20 or so that just said "DAVID ARCHULETA 20 times -- very original), EW's official 2008 Entertainers of the Year should be a P-Dub pleaser. Let us know what you think, and be sure to keep checking our Entertainers of the Year package for exclusive videos with Tina Fey (No. 2, but No. 1 in my heart), the Bravo TV gang (No. 12), and more! Press play below to go behind-the-scenes at the photo shoot for No. 17 -- Lost's Yunjin Kim and Daniel Dae Kim. The trance-like effect of Jin gently pushing Sun on a tree swing is what you've always needed in your life. You just didn't know until now:
Hey, don't change the channel! After Jin and Sun's swing time, stay tuned for Daniel Dae Kim's favorite Entertainers of 2008...and (gasp! swoon!) Jeff Jensen tooling around the Lost set with a camcorder.
In case the plug on EW's latest Must List wasn't enough to convince you that previously unreleased Four Tops a cappella mixes, taken from original Motown session reels and re-synched to TV performances, are the a reason to own the documentary DVD Reach Out, we present the clip below.
"No. Not even in the face of Armageddon. Never compromise." That isn't just Rorschach's ultimate cry of defiance, it's the mantra of legions of Watchmen fans hoping that director Zack Snyder remains faithful to Alan Moore's dystopian superhero epic.
I don't know about you, PopWatchers, but is this a good sign or what? The melancholy sight of Dr. Manhattan—a CGI-transformed Billy Crudup—standing with Ozymandias (Matthew Goode) and Nite Owl (Patrick Wilson) over the rain-soaked grave of their fellow caped crusader, the Comedian, looks like such a faithful panel-to-screen translation that not even the mudslingers at the New Frontiersman could complain. So with that in mind, a quick PopWatch poll!
Instead of going on and on about the Oscar-winning Italian composer's storied, 50-plus-year career and gushing over how many of his 500 or so film and TV scores are instantly recognizable pieces of pop culture, I'm just gonna let his work speak for itself with a few clips, like the one below from The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. (More after the jump.) Happy 80th, signore!
Deep breath. Take it in, let it out. Once more. Deeeep breath. Take it in and let it out. On the rare occasions when we manage to pull one over on the Survivors, this is the ritual I go through immediately following. I just take a moment and let it fill my soul.
This group of Survivors were certain they knew when we were going to merge and they never backed off from their prediction. They kept saying it at tribal council. They'd gloat about it at challenges. "You always merge on the same day, Probst. It's not hard to predict." I kept my wits about me knowing they were off. Barely off, mind you, but off enough that we knew it was gonna bite them in the ass.
It might already be time to update that inaugural playlist Mick Boogie shared with us earlier in the week! Bruce Springsteen debuted a brand-new tune, "Workin' on a Dream," at an eleventh-hour rally for then-candidate Obama in Cleveland over the weekend — and his venerable fansite Backstreets.com is casually suggesting that the song comes from a whole new album the Boss is recording, which they say is "expected to see release around the time of the Presidential Inauguration" (h/t). Whoa! We should probably be cautious here, seeing as that's just one little sentence on an unofficial site and Springsteen's camp hasn't confirmed or denied anything. Assuming it's true, though, what do you say to the prospect of another album so soon after last fall's masterful Magic?
I say bring it on. Bruce has been experiencing a real creative renaissance these last few years with The Rising and Magic (among others). Both rank among his most powerful albums, and both are ultimately about the country he loves so much — one a cry of mourning after 9/11, the other a crushing rebuke of the Bush years. I'm ready to hear the next chapter in that story. Bruce made it obvious to fans how much he had emotionally invested in Obama's campaign at the rallies he played this fall. And if he's feeling anything like the rush of post-election joy and relief and optimism that I am right now, that sounds like one hell of a record in the making. Go ahead, check out that live performance of "Workin' on a Dream" below, and tell me: Don't you want to hear the rest of this album?
Yes, I'm one of the 5,600 people (at last count) watching that live feed of adorable puppies. I've now watched it long enough to have a favorite: the one in the purple collar. He (or she) appears to be the troublemaker -- wanting to play while the others sleep. Oh, wait, now green collar is doing that to purple collar and just whimpered out of frustration. But now purple collar is sleeping on top of blue collar (who just changed positions after waking up from a very bad dream.) I'm torn! I'm torn! Who's your favorite?
UPDATE: At 3:53 p.m. ET, yellow collar attempted to woo me by snuggling with purple collar's buppy -- I'm talking tail in the face -- while having his (or her) head under the giant pumpkin pillow and his (or her) paw on the tennis ball. This would have worked had purple collar not yawned repeatedly, then climbed over red collar and yellow collar to give black collar kisses. PURPLE COLLAR RULES!
UPDATE #2: At appoximately 5:54 p.m ET on Nov. 7, all six puppies stretched at the same time. I IM'd TWO people. Purple collar (aka Autumn) retained her title as my favorite by spooning the pumpkin pillow.
I know. The election is over, there's hope in the air, and it's time for conciliation and unification. So is it wrong that I got more than a little personal glee out of watching Elisabeth Hasselbeck, a (frequently irritatingly) vocal McCain supporter, fall in line behind president-elect Barack Obama? I do applaud her poignant story about what she told her daughter this morning, but I'm mostly glad that The View, which I usually enjoy (make fun all you want), won't make my blood pressure skyrocket anymore...at least for now. And if you're still feeling emotional about the events of the last 24 hours, Sherri Shepherd's bit at the end of the clip might make you choke up a little, like my man Michael Slezak did.
Jan. 10, 1994: I'm sitting in my college dorm room watching Murphy Brown when former FYI correspondent Peter Hunt (Scott Bakula) climbs onto Murphy's desk chair -- with Candice Bergen -- and kisses her. The earth moved.
Occasionally, over the last 14 years, I've thought about that episode (season 6's "The Thrill of the Hunt") and wondered if I'd ever be lucky enough to see it again. Yesterday, I found it on YouTube. (Watch the kiss below.) For a moment, life was good.
Which classic TV moments have you searched for -- and found -- online? They don't all have to be romance related...but after the jump, you can watch David (Bruce Willis) and Maddie (Cybill Shepherd) get it on for the first time on Moonlighting. And Casey (Peter Krause) finally lay one on Dana (Felicity Huffman) on Sports Night.
Like a campaign director for a tiny third-party candidate, I continue to try to get out the pop-music vote for American-born, "big in Europe only" diva Anastacia, whose new single "I Can Feel You" recently reached No. 1 on the Slovenian airplay chart, according to Wikipedia.
Okay, typing the words "No. 1 on the Slovenian airplay chart" hurts worse than dunking a fresh paper cut in jalapeño juice, but Anastacia's first step toward global airplay domination has to start somewhere. Heck, I've been waiting for her to break out since she was a finalist on MTV's pre-American Idol singing contest The Cut(hosted by Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes) back in the late '90s, and she's come close with minor hits like "I'm Outta Love" and "One Day in Your Life," a much-panned -hyped duet with Celine Dion on Divas Las Vegas, even noteworthy spots on the Fantastic Four and Chicago soundtracks.
And while I realize "I Can Feel You" faces an uphill battle if and when it's released to U.S. radio, I can still dream, can't I? Sure, the video below has the production value of a local car dealership ad, features awkward bouts of chair-dancing, and makes its star look something like a drag queen impersonating Jennifer Coolidge (especially in that final setup with the feathery jacket), but there's still nothing quite like the sound of Anastacia's husky vocals paired with a hummable melody and a jaunty dance beat. Who's with me on this one? Vote for (or against) "I Can Feel You" in the comments section below!
Actually, it's a little more complicated than that equation. Let me break it down: Mick Boogie and Terry Urban are hip-hop DJs. Together, they came up with the idea for a mixtape that would combine a capella vocals from Jay-Z songs with beats sampled from Coldplay songs. (Think Danger Mouse's2004 masterwork The Grey Album with a different English band.) Mick and Terry produced a few of these mash-ups themselves, then recruited a bunch of other producers to help out with others. That is Viva La Hova, and it hit the Web earlier this week.
On one level, it's almost a surprise that more people haven't thought of this before Mick and Terry. After all, Jay-Z and Chris Martin have publicly shouted out each other's work many times, even collaborating hereandthere. But album-length mash-up projects rarely turn out as well as they look on paper. Usually, you get a couple of legitimately clever tracks, then a whole bunch of awkward filler, like all the well-meaning people of moderate talent who tried to jump on the bandwagon after the aforementioned Grey Album.
So give Mick and Terry their due: Viva La Hova is actually really dope, front to back. They got a nice range of producers to contribute, from established underground talents (9th Wonder, 6th Sense) to lesser-knowns who I'll be checking for in the future (nVMe), and nearly all of them came up with something worth bumping. The whole thing has given me a new appreciation for all sorts of Jay-Z and Coldplay tunes I hadn't listened to in a while. I'm particularly fond of "Never Changing" (below), which oh-so-cleverly blends Jay-Z's "Never Change" and Coldplay's "We Never Change." And don't miss the spot-on cover art!
Samuel L. Jackson has just been cast as the urban martial arts bad-ass Sho'nuff for Columbia Pictures' upcoming remake of Berry Gordy's 1985 cult classic The Last Dragon. Watch the clip below (featuring the late Julius Carry as Sho), then close your eyes and envision the greatness that will be Samuel L. as the Shogun of Harlem (even if he does seem a bit old for the part).
This could be a fun flick. And while I don't care who is cast in Taimak's role (so long as it's not Jet Li), I do wonder who'll take Vanity's part. Thoughts?
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the stage Mr. Bruce motherf---ing Campbell!" On Oct. 26 at the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, the beloved B-movie star hosted the premiere of My Name Is Bruce, the new camp horror film he directed, starred in, and exec-produced. (He also built the entire set on his 107-acre property in Oregon.) The event—three 180-seat screenings, which each sold out in minutes—kicked off a 22-city promo tour, with Campbell driving across the country in his 2003 Lincoln Aviator to personally introduce his latest self-proclaimed "stupid movie" in each city of its limited release (for tour dates, go to bruce-campbell.com).
During a rip-roaring audience Q&A following the screening, the 50-year-old showman breezily dispensed with the obligatory Evil Dead questions. There might one day be an Evil Dead IV, but not until Sam Raimi completes Spider-Man 4: "So I'll be, like, 95 when he's ready to go." As for talk of remaking the original Evil Dead, Campbell can't imagine there'd be much of a role for him. "What, am I going to play the old guy at the bait store?" he asked. "'You guys be careful, that place is haunted!' 'Aw, shut up, old man and pump our gas!' 'Enh, I warned 'em!'"
If the crowd of film geeks chortled throughout Campbell's movie, they were rolling during his live wisecracking. At one point he encouraged the crowd to shout out which of his movies they most hated. "Man With a Screaming Brain!" hollered one fan. "Army of Darkness!" shouted another. "Spider-Man 2!" suggested more than a few people. "All right, you think you're all so smart?" said Campbell. Then he challenged them to play studio exec as he pitched one of his past projects. "I'm Frank Marshall," he began. "I've produced all of Steven Spielberg's movies. Interested? Okay, I've got a book written by Michael Crichton. I'm going to get John Patrick Shanley, the Academy Award-winning writer of Moonstruck, to adapt it. It'll be shot by Allen Daviau, who did E.T. Will you make this movie? Well, congratulations! You just made Congo."
So, PopWatchers, which Campbell movie do you hate the most? (Would you nominate Army of Darkness, or is that a blasphemous suggestion?) And if you ran Sam Raimi's life, what movie would you have him shoot next: Spider-Man 4 or Evil Dead IV?
Is it just me, or did Alan Rickman's promo pic for Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves strongly foreshadow his upcoming role as the hookah-smoking caterpillar in Tim Burton's adaptation of Alice in Wonderland? Probably just me. Rickman's the latest star to sign on for what's shaping up to be the weirdest movie ever. (If anything could be weirder than the 1985 network-TV Alice adaptation starring everyone in Hollywood, that is. Remember Carol Channing as the White Queen? Nightmares! Great ones!)
Johnny Depp will be The Mad Hatter, as we know. Also on board: In Treatment's Mia Wasikowska as Alice, Helena Bonham Carter as The Red Queen, Anne Hathaway as The White Queen, and Crispin Glover as the Knave of Hearts. Christopher Lee will be involved as something (The White Knight, maybe?), and Danny Elfman will do the music. The movie doesn't come out until 2010, by the way. I just remember a lot of P-Dubs loving Alan Rickman back when Missy Schwartz enviably ate dinner with him during Sundance. So there you go! Puff puff.
Róisín Murphy, Irish dance-pop chanteuse and my personal Jesus (for real -- check out this killer desktop background), played Friday night at NYC's The Mansion as part of CMJ. I'm happy to report that Róisín donned the same white mock turtleneck she rocks in the "Let Me Know" video, enabling many quick-and-easy outfit changes. She strutted out first in a spangly black cape thing, then -- seemingly inspired by her own lyric, "You know what to expect" -- she showed off what all of us superfans were really waiting for. TYPICALLY INSANE/AWESOME COSTUMES! I'm still torn on what my favorite overcoat of hers was -- the white, feathery fur one with the poofy shoulders, or the plaid one that featured a big ol' deer built into the shoulders (pictured)? There's really no need to decide.
I believe I spilled the most cocktail onto my nice winter coat when Róisín launched into her former band Moloko's lovelorn anthem "Forever More." But for me, the best part of the concert came at the end of my favorite song from Overpowered, "Primitive." Here, Róisín engaged in a full-on freakout, wrestling with the mic stand, a bandmate, and eventually just the entire venue's collective despair that the song was over. You can check out a video of that noise after the jump -- but beware, I'm screaming a lot in it. And the quality's poor. And I swear at the end. But who cares? It was a moment. We are animal, one and all.
Thanks for hitting the States again, my sparkly European idol. Y'all come back now, y'hear? (And please play in Chicago!)
First, I was forwarded the "Wanted Dead or Alive" clip from last season's Supernatural finale. Now, I just received a link to the surprise at the end of last week's episode: Jensen Ackles lip-synching "Eye of the Tiger."
Amy Poehler and husband Will Arnett welcomed their first child, son Archie Arnett, Saturday, her publicist confirms. "He is 8 lbs. 1 oz.," rep Lewis Kay said in a statement. "Amy, Will and Archie are all healthy and resting comfortably."
Seth Meyers, Poehler's coanchor on Saturday Night Live's "Weekend Update," broke the news to viewers, announcing that Poehler's chair was empty because she was "having a baby." Special guest Maya Rudolph and current cast member Kenan Thompson then serenaded Poehler with a custom rendition of "Can't Take My Eyes Off You."
Poehler is expected to leave SNL after this season to star in her own NBC sitcom. While SNL fans ponder whether the show can survive without her, fans of the 2007 film Blades of Glory, in which Poehler and Arnett costarred as a pairs figure skating team, might have an idea what the couple is wondering: Asked in one of the DVD bonus features (below, at three minutes) if they were ever to have a baby, would it be the funniest child in the world, they broke character, giggled, and gave a genuine answer:
Poehler: We think we might have the most unfunniest child.
Arnett: We have always imagined that we'd have a Sean Penn-like child.
Poehler: A little baby Sean Penn.
Arnett: Real brooding, Method-y actor.
Poehler: Smokin' all the time....I hope my baby doesn't smoke. I don't know what kind of baby we're gonna have. I really should get on this.
First off, let me just say that this will be short. No reason. Just not a lot to say this week. It happens. You'll see. One day it will happen to you too. No cause for alarm. It's not any physical abnormality. It just happens sometimes. Deal with it. I am.
Okay, can we start with what is becoming my favorite story line…Sugar
going to Exile Island. The best part is that while they think they are
punishing her, little do they know she is living it up, eating better
than anyone, and she misses out on all the camp chores. Camp life can
really suck. Not for Sugar. Didn't I tell you you'd be rooting for her.
Admit it. You are. You can't help it. Yes, she cries a lot, but she's
growing on you. Admit it. She is.
My ears perked up as soon as I heard the piano riff from Jay-Z's "Blueprint 2" in the background of this ad on TV this week. That made me pay attention to the rest of the clip, which fits two NFL players' life stories into a tight little minute-long narrative. Pretty great work — check it out below. Turns out the spot was directed by David Fincher (Fight Club, Zodiac), one of my favorite filmmakers. I've insisted on cranking up the volume and watching attentively every time this ad pops up on my screen.
Personally, this experience has made me want to do one of two things: 1) re-watch Zodiac (great movie!), and 2) re-listen to Jay-Z's The Blueprint 2 (uneven album! but great title track!). You'll note that neither of those things are buying Nike shoes, for a variety of reasons — sorry, Nike's marketing department. But kudos for producing a really cool ad. It's totally this non-football-fan's second favorite football-related piece of recent pop culture. (Number one would be the new season of Friday Night Lights, of course.) How about you?
If you have PopWatch bookmarked in your browser (because you're awesome) and therefore seldom visit our homepage (less awesome), I could be about to blow your mind: EW.com has two new specialized blogs for your workday-wasting pleasure.
Or maybe it would be easier to just say "Read these new blogs because everyone who writes them/is featured in them is super hot!" Either way, as the Tim Gunn voiceover says in those annoying Parsons promos they show during Project Runway, "Just mmm-go to the website!"
For two months now, I've been casually listening to Adele's album 19 -- it makes excellent background music while writing TV Watches. But it took two powerhouse performances on this week's Sarah Palin Presents: Saturday Night Live to make me truly appreciate this cheeky (yet quite stage-frighty) pile of cuteness. The striped dress, the cardigan, the Day-Glo nails, the fact that unlike many female pop stars these days, she appeared to have eaten in the last 24 hours -- suffice it to say that now I love Adele even more. Check out the video for her second single, "Cold Shoulder," below.
Was TV writer/producer Bruno Heller listening in on my family's Thanksgiving road trip or something? Just four days ago, the assembled Vozick-Levinsons were drivin' down the highway, lamentin' last year's early demise of HBO's Rome. Sure, we understood that it must have been prohibitively expensive to keep constructing those awesomely realistic sets. But come on. Just two short seasons, with so much more ancient history left to explore? Couldn't they make a movie or something?
Yesterday's New York Times featured 
This may just be the cynical side of me, but did anyone else happen to find last night's episode of The Hills, in which Audrina and Lauren fought over a rumor that Lauren had hooked up with Justin Bobby, to be one of the best episodes of the series to date? There was raw emotion, bleeps due to the usage of swear words, tears, and shouting—just the sort of combination that this show needs in order to be revived from its dullness. Heck, the MTV producers ought to take a cue from last night and just start spreading rumors about these girls just to see what they can catch on tape. (I can see it now: "Excuse me, Stephanie. Yeah, we just wanted to tell you that Lo posted a blog that says you have herpes. And, if you could wait until the cameras are rolling to chew her out, that would be great.")
After tonight's episode ended, I called Doc Horowitz and said, "I gotta get in to see you. I think something is wrong with me. I think I'm losing my edge. Going soft. Can you run a test or something, see what's what?" 
There's a show on The CW that we think you should be watching 
People's Sexiest Man Alive issue hits stands Friday, with Australia's Hugh Jackman taking this year's title. I was in complete agreement...until I flipped through 
I'm going to have to issue a respectful but firm "Hell no!" to my man Dave Greenwald's recent 
No need to bury the lead. One of my favorite moments of the entire season happened about seven minutes into this episode. Corrine's reaction to Marcus being voted out. It was almost as good as waiting for Santa to come.
"No. Not even in the face of Armageddon. Never compromise." That isn't just Rorschach's ultimate cry of defiance, it's the mantra of legions of Watchmen fans hoping that director Zack Snyder remains faithful to Alan Moore's dystopian superhero epic.
Deep breath. Take it in, let it out. Once more. Deeeep breath. Take it in and let it out. On the rare occasions when we manage to pull one over on the Survivors, this is the ritual I go through immediately following. I just take a moment and let it fill my soul. 
Spoiler alert! Read after the jump to check out Jeff's candid take on what went down on last night's episode of Survivor: Gabon.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the stage Mr. Bruce motherf---ing Campbell!" On Oct. 26 at the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, the beloved B-movie star hosted the premiere of My Name Is Bruce, the new camp horror film he directed, starred in, and exec-produced. (He also built the entire set on his 107-acre property in Oregon.) The event—three 180-seat screenings, which each sold out in minutes—kicked off a 22-city promo tour, with Campbell driving across the country in his 2003 Lincoln Aviator to personally introduce his latest self-proclaimed "stupid movie" in each city of its limited release (for tour dates, go to 
Is it just me, or did Alan Rickman's promo pic for Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves strongly foreshadow his upcoming role as the hookah-smoking caterpillar in Tim Burton's adaptation of Alice in Wonderland? Probably just me. Rickman's the latest star to sign on for what's shaping up to be the weirdest movie ever. (If anything could be weirder than the 1985 network-TV Alice adaptation starring everyone in Hollywood, that is. Remember 
Róisín Murphy, Irish dance-pop chanteuse and my personal Jesus (for real -- check out this killer .jpg)
First off, let me just say that this will be short. No reason. Just not a lot to say this week. It happens. You'll see. One day it will happen to you too. No cause for alarm. It's not any physical abnormality. It just happens sometimes. Deal with it. I am.
If you have 