Star Jones Reynolds' show on truTV (formerly CourtTV) is being canceled. According to People, it was a mutual agreement to discontinue the show, and she'll stay on with the network as a contributing legal expert. The last episode of The Star Jones Show, which debuted in September, is Friday.
In a scene reminiscent of Natalie Maines talking smack about President Bush in London, another Dallas singer is making headline for overseas comments.
Erykah Badu held a press conference in Tel Aviv today in advance of a concert Saturday. According to the Associated Press, she praised Palestinian hip-hop artists and Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, whose statements have been labeled “bigoted and anti-Semitic” by the Anti-Defamation League.
“[Farrakhan is] not an anti-Semite. He loves all people,” Badu said.
She also said Palestinians use hip-hop "as a form of liberation, as a form of pre-resistance, as a form of therapy." When asked to name an Israeli hip-hop artist, she could not.
Before you settle into your couch tonight, with your TV undoubtedly tuned to ABC, I wanted to point out the connections between the shows you'll be watching and some comics hitting stores this week and next.
As you may have read in this week's Fanboy column, Vertigo released the final issue of Y: The Last Man yesterday. That critically acclaimed series was created and written by Brian K. Vaughan, who is now a producer for Lost.
In an apparent bid to capitalize on the hype surrounding the last Last Man, DC Comics next week will release Batman: False Faces, a collection of some of Vaughan's earliest comics work.
Following Lost tonight will be the premiere of Eli Stone, a series co-created by Marc Guggenheim. Guggenheim is one of the new rotating writers on the thrice-monthly Amazing Spider-Man. His first issue goes on sale next week.
It's the end of an era. Montel Williams will quit the talk-show business at the end of the current television season. His show, The Montel Williams Show, will wrap up its 17th season this year.
"I can't say thank you enough to those who've welcomed me into their homes for the past 17 years," Williams said told the AP. "It has been both an honor and a joy."
"Just to let you know, I'm not just a funny person. I've got talent behind it, and I'm going to be showing you my talents today." ... Still waiting to see some talent, buddy. I have a feeling I'll be waiting forevah.
Hey, I used to watch that American Juniors show, and I remember Julie -- she's looking all growed up, yet has growed-up attitude to go with it. She refused to believe that she wasn't da bomb -- or completely acting. Then she has a drama queen meltdown outside of the performance room. Poor kid.
Really, judges? You seriously liked Ilsy, with that lackluster version of Rihanna's already lackluster song, "Unfaithful"??! Surely, they were just responding to her looks. Which were lackluster, too!! And what kind of name is Ilsy?!?! You've got some proving to do in Hollywood, yo!
I like this girl -- very self-confident but not annoying. Randy was right that she lost it a little at the end, but perhaps it was because she tried to sing too high. She ain't no Mariah Scary. But she doesn't have to be. I think she might go far!
I thought that Aretha song was too big for this pixie -- she can belt, fo sho, but "Natural Woman" wasn't the best showcase for her voice. Still, it'll be great to see what she brings to Hollywood ...
Her singing's a little weak, but I'm all for the strugglin' single moms gettin' a chance in Hollywood. ... Why the hell are they talking about Jasmine Trias? Enough with the bad flower-hair memories!
Holy Lord. Corliss and Brittany had spunk to spare -- and insane vocal talent, too! Although Brittany hit some off notes with her rendition of "My Guy," her voice was butta! And Corliss stole the show with her jazzy tune. But when the money shot was when the girls rejoiced getting their golden tickets and came around to hug the judges -- I thought Simon's face was gonna get lost in Corliss' bosoms. Yeech!!
Aww, I'm sad his audition wasn't better. Maybe he should have broken out the Gogol Bordello instead of a Marc Anthony song. Did I just hear that right? Did Paula rag on him for having an accent? ... Ah, he made it through! Dreams CAN come true.
OK, so Robbie was introduced as a former boy band-er who's turned to rock -- but it was never specified which boy band!! I was hoping O-Town, but I don't recognize him. His voice was sweet, but only of decent quality. He didn't light a fire in me. Like O-Town did ... squeee!
Man, can this girl belch! But can she belt? Well, I wouldn't exactly call it belting. In fact, I wouldn't even call it human. She's like a shrieking alien dressed as a flapper.
Tonight, Idol takes a dip in the Miami talent pool, and I have no doubt that a few of the auditioners will be a little crazy from the heat. I can't think of any more cheesy Florida references, so I'll leave it at that. Let the live blogging begin ...
Y: The Last Man #60: Here it is, the final issue of one of the best series in comics history. Want to read the first issue for free? Click here.
Captain America #34: This series has been without a title character since the original Cap was assassinated nine issues ago. That changes today.
Spider-Man: With Great Power ... #1 (of 5): The guiding principle of Peter Parker's life is "With great power, comes great responsibility." This series explores the period before he really digested that second part.
Media day at the Super Bowl featured wedding proposals, Kellie Pickler and even a Ferris wheel in the parking lot. Here's my favorite anecdote, from Paul Newberry of the Associated Press, involving Patriots coach Bill Belichick:
"How close is the perception of you to the reality of you?" a Freud wannabe asks.
"Oh, I don’t know. Next," Belichick replies dourly.
Then comes: "If you were in a movie, who would you want to play you?"
"Oh, I don’t know. Next," Belichick repeats.
The reason? To give people something to admire as they sit stuck in traffic --sometimes up to 15 minutes a day -- at one intersection near downtown Houston.
Seems something like that could work in numerous places in the Dallas area as well. But whose faces could we sculpt and what would we call the piece? Any thoughts?
This guy Leo Marlowe has a quick wit in a way that doesn't annoy me (looking at you, Chris Sligh). And his earnest delivery of "A Song For You" proves he has the voice to match the wit. Here's hoping he gets past Hollywood. In case you're wondering why I'm being so nice, I should disclose that my latest dosage of medication just kicked in. Whee!
Wow, Johnny Escamilla compares himself to James Brown?!! I hear rolling. In a grave. You just knew it was gonna be bad when he announced he'd be singing "Shout." Just horrific.
Bringing rock to the table is no longer considered "different," especially since Idol reminds us every second how successful Daughtry is. ... This guy's voice is pretty powerful, even if his pace indicates that he downed a few sedatives before the audition. He made it! Another faux-hawk in Hollywood!
Poor Angelica Puente not only lacked confidence, but mimicked Celine Dion, totally forgetting to add some of her own flair to The Power of Love! Underneath it all, though, she had nice voice -- and the judges agreed! Hope she works on the nervousness thing before Hollywood ...
Did anyone know Making the Band 4 was back on the air? This season, the guys are back making an album. Danity Kane will also be working on there second album. There seems to be a little romance between DK members and MTB 4 members.
Those are the montages I like -- quality singers doing their thang!! I'll be glad to see these kids in Hollywood. And how many weeks do we have left before LA!?!?
Just figures Sarah Whitaker, the former wrestler, sings in an operatic, musical theater-y falsetto. That hurt my stomach. At least she embraces her inner weirdo ...
Oh, SNAP, I love it when Simon and Ryan get into their little spats. Meowr, rahr!!! And Ryan's switching places with Paula?? Lurve it!!
I like Ryan Seacrest's graphic tee, but he seems a little underdressed to be hosting a television show. And now he's guest-judging (to prove some sort of point, I guess?). I'm kinda likin' Ryan as a judge. Samantha Sidley is a pretty good Norah Jones mimic, but does she have anything else to offer? Do any of the judges care, as they engage in their navel-gazing battle? ... And she's through to Hollywood. I'm OK with it.
God, I hope she sings "Meet Me Halfway" by Kenny Loggins .. Uh, no. She's singing a LeAnn Rimes song I've never heard. I get sick of this country-girl voice that so many auditioners take on. And Randy's with me -- he's making fun of her "half-yodel." ... Welcome to Hollywood; have fun yodeling your way to obscurity.
Ladies, how many of you were crestfallen when Jason Rich mentioned his girlfriend? Dammit!! What a cutie. Oh, yeah, this is a talent show not a man-geant. Anyway, Jason's nervousness was really cute - I was rooting for him to pull through it. And he did!!! Although I have to say his voice wasn't the greatest. And I'm way cuter than his girlfriend. HA!
Simon basically just told the Omaha Fox affiliate that they have to hire this guy to cover the finale. I bet there's a local entertainment reporter from that station fuming at this very moment.
"I feel like I could explode and happiness is going to go flying everywhere." This guy is officially creepin' me out, what with the gifts for the judges and the photo album of Kelly Clarkson. And now he's crying. You should never cry before singing, especially when you can't sing to begin with.
That's right. The Idol lands in Omaha, Nebraska, in a few minutes for an hour of auditions. As always, Farah and I will be blogging like wildfire, and we welcome -- no, demand -- you to join in the fun.
Just FYI, I'm blogging tonight under the influence of Theraflu. That should make things a little more exciting! [Cough cough.]
Are you a good consumer citizen, someone who's going to spend your rebate check immediately if and when it arrives? Will you be up to the challenge of doing your patriotic duty to spend the U.S. to the promised land? Maybe this quiz will help you find out. Click here to test your knowledge of corporate logos.
Much as I prefer to cinematically hibernate and skip most springtime movies, the poster for the upcoming 21 caught my eye. It features a dressed-to-the-nines Joe Sturgess -- who last starred as a lovelorn slacker hippie in Across The Universe -- and a glammed-up Kate Bosworth. The trailer reveals them to be part of a group of MIT students that runs a blackjack card-counting scam in Las Vegas until a sharp-eyed casino security guy sends their scheme crumbling. Trouble, casino chases and racy sex scenes ensue.
Release date: March 28 (hmmm, you'd think they'd release it March 21)
Chance of box office success: OK, if it gets a really good marketing push. There's not much competition around that date, unless Angela Bassett's flick, Meet The Browns, released March 21, absolutely slays audiences for two weeks running. It is a Tyler Perry flick, so that's not impossible.
Should you see it?: I'd say 21 is a must-see -- on DVD.
Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Joe Quesada will appear on The Colbert Report tonight, presumably to discuss this week's issue of Captain America, in which the series gets a title character again. Maybe they can also discuss why, six months after it debuted, Stephen Colbert's comic still doesn't have a second issue.
Check out Tuesday's Biz section in Quick for an interesting story on Britney Spears' immense impact on the economy. The more problems she faces, the more money people make. Her wackiness keeps untold thousands of kids in diapers (though perhaps not her own). If we could just clone her a few times, we might be able to shake off this blossoming recession.
Ah, the big game is here. You're about to fly across the country and prepare for the ultimate football contest of the season. The media, the hype, the spectacle ... it's all waiting for you. So what do you do if you're former Texas corner Aaron Ross? You get sick and barf on the team plane, causing a giant delay. Just think of the memories ...
I came across a food and nutrition quiz on msn.com that came from runnersworld.com, where I couldn't track it down. Some of the questions were running specific, and they got harder as they went along. I was tripped up by several, but happy with some of the ones I got right. Try it out!
A Los Angeles judge has shown Britney Spears a little bit of love, allowing her to now have phone contact with her kids. Let's hope she doesn't use her phone time just for helping them practice their British accents.
Robert Redford is set to star in an adaptation of A Walk in the Woods, a best-selling book by the brilliant British author Bill Bryson. (I just wanted to see how many Bs I could get in that sentence).
In a nutshell, it's about Bryson's own adventures hiking the Appalachian Trail. Redford will play Bryson.
"It'll be fun. I don't know when I've read a book that I laughed so loud," Redford said in a story by the Associated Press.
Having read a few of Bryson's books, I know the feeling. Good stuff.
Here are two stories I'm fascinated with for some reason:
Fonz bronzed: Ayyy, Milwaukee is going to add a life-size statue downtown of Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli, the Happy Days character made famous by Henry Winkler. I guess there weren't enough funds raised to make a Potsie statue, too?
She sings? Actress Scarlett Johansson has recorded an album. Who knew?
I saw the new Rambo over the weekend. It wasn't a great movie by any means, and some of the dialogue and characters were a little simplistic or annoying (I'm looking at you, whiny missionary guy), but from a purely nostalgic point of view, it was nice to see what ol' John Rambo is up to these days. In case you're interested, that would be lots of snake-wrangling and blacksmithing.
And, of course, LOTS of killing once the bad guys make the mistake of crossing our humble hero.
If you have an iPhone (I don't, but -- sigh -- maybe one day) and you're wanting to teach it some new tricks, head over to Hottrix.
The gimmick Web site has a number of videos you can download (for just a few dollars) that make your phone look like it's popping popcorn, being filled with beer or milk or blood, burning logs like a fireplace, etc.
There's even a download that'll make a goldfish appear in front of the home screen, crunch on some fish food and then swim away.
They broke up in 1994, before they could fulfill my dream of having them play "Happy Birthday" at my 16th birthday party. Maybe there's hope Danny, Donnie, Joey, Jordan and Jonathan will serenade me on my 28th?
Even Diane Lane admits that she’s an anomaly. At 43, the actress is still getting lead roles in major films and is still considered a sex symbol, whereas many female actresses her age unfortunately seem to go off the radar. Best known recently for her Academy Award-nominated turn in Unfaithful, Lane made her debut in film at 13 and graced the cover of Time at 14. She had major success as a teen in 80s classics like The Outsiders and Rumble Fish and then made a surprising resurgence in the late 90s. She will been seen next in the potential megahit Jumper.
Lane’s new film is Untraceable, a horrific thriller in which Lane plays an FBI agent that investigates cyber crimes and comes across a website called killwithme.com, where the victims are killed off online, each time a little quicker as the popularity of the site grows.
She says, “To do a thriller like this, I wanted it to be smart enough to make me think - and it does.” While her role required her to be extremely tech savvy, she admits that’s just acting. She says, “I’m lousy at it. I’m allowed to hang out in the room with these people. I can’t really participate. It’s different. They are born into it. I very reluctantly started paying attention when I was 30. I just don’t have the brain cells to rub together fast enough, you know?”
Here’s more from Lane:
Q: Not being versed in all of this, were you surprised by how many people are online trying to be anonymous about the things that they do?
A: The whole point, certainly when the internet was invented and on computers in the 80s, is we would invent a new identity. “I’ll be so sexy online” and “I’ll be 20 again” or whatever people have in their heads – “I’ll get all the babes and I’ll have all my hair back”. This was the vapidity of the original fantasy that people created about what being online was going to do for them. I mean, it’s just the lowest common denominator possible, so it’s interesting what comes. We think it and then we make it real, to a certain degree. And then we have all these cautionary tales that grow out of it. I’m so glad the FBI exists after seeing what’s on the internet and how they’re stopping the bad guys.
Just got an email from Ticketmaster that made me happy: Chris Rock, quite possibly the funniest man on the planet, will perform at Nokia Theatre in Grand Prairie on March 27. Tickets go on sale Jan. 26.
British singer Amy Winehouse entered rehab today as part of her battle against drug addiction, her record label said.
Her decision followed the leak earlier this week of a home video that showed her smoking something in a glass pipe minutes after she is heard saying she had just taken six tablets of the anti-anxiety drug Valium. And, of course, her recent cry-for-help courtroom photos.
Resisting rehab may make for a good song, but hopefully she'll stick to it this time.
A couple of interesting notes from ESPN's research department on Baylor's five-OT win over Texas A&M on Wednesday night:
+ Baylor had five players foul out, but its bench shot 6-of-28 from the floor and hung on for the 116-110 victory.
+ The previous record for most points by one team in a Big 12 game was 114 by Kansas against Colorado in February 1997. That game ended in regulation.
+ Entering Wednesday's game, Baylor had played 122 games since the beginning of the 2003-04 season. During those five seasons, it had played a total of six overtime periods. It came within one overtime of equaling that total at College Station.
For only two nights, movie theaters nationwide will show Spirit of the Marathon, which tells the stories of six marathon runners, four amateurs and two pros, and their training to complete 26.2 in Chicago. The first night is tomorrow, Jan. 24, and the second is Feb. 21. Here's a list of local theaters with showings.
It's still a week and a half away, but let's get some Super Bowl chatter going.
* KFC has thrown a triple-dog dare out there: It will donate $260,000 to charity in the name of any player who performs a chicken-dance celebration in the end zone for at least three seconds, the Los Angeles Times reported. That goes for the performers during the pregame and halftime shows, too. Sweet.
* Are you ready for Snoop Bowl VI? Snoop Dogg's annual youth football game is Feb. 2 in Chandler Ariz. Proceeds will benefit the Matt Leinart Foundation. Leinart will be in attendance.
You know, not putting her through to Hollywood is just unfair. Think of all the little blonde girls who got by on a smile and a few Xtina vocal runs. Disgusting.
I really love the guy who is revealing too much in the voicemail for the girl he just went on a date with. "I had an ex-girlfriend named Heather. I probably shouldn't be telling you that." But this isn't my favorite commercial he's in. I like the one where he goes "Ow Are Ooo?"
Simon's right -- the Bible thumper will be annoying. At least she's earnest. In her support of abstaining from sex. That spiel of hers was hilarious, though!! And she totally believed it, too!
I dunno about you, but I'm so over Simon and his constant, "you're not as good as you think you are." As long as they're good enough to go to Hollywood, just let them!!
True love may wait, but I don't think I have any patience for this chick. She reminds me of Mandy Moore in 'Saved.' She's gonna be hurling Bibles at people in Hollywood. Simon's with me on this. I love the way he looked at her and said, "Thorry..."
Forget the OW factor that Jeffrey was talking about, these two brought the OUCH factor with that silly dance of theirs. Oh, but they can blow. Who'd a thunk? They brought it!!
I love their singing! And I love their schtick! Can't wait to see their Hollywood high jinks. If they don't make it further, MTV should give them a reality show. "True Life: We are Fabuloussss."
These two people met on American Idol message boards. Wow. That's a new one. And they are singing a duet. They are no George and Tammy. Hell, they are no Zac and Vanessa!
Raysharde looked more like Michael Jackson, back when he was black. He had a great voice, but just was over the top. If he took it down a few notches, he would've been through. Sad display of silliness.
I effing love this girl. "I hope they like me as good as Kellie Pickler." Ahh, her name is DeAnna. That was the crunkest version of "Fancy" I've ever heard. And she just schooled Simon on the pronunciation of her name. Please let her make it ... NO! JUDGES SUCK!
The fro is nice, but he can't make me love his singing. And did he just say he is unique because he is different from Clay Aiken? That logic is flawed.
Well apparently those lights that many residents saw flying over Stephenville on Jan. 8 were not UFOs. From an Associated Press story:
"The Air Force Reserve says 10 of its fighter jets were training in that area on the night many residents reported seeing strange lights in the sky. The military initially said none of its planes were in that area the night of Jan. 8, but now officials say they made a mistake."
Young Avengers Presents #1 (of 6): The creations of Allan Heinberg (Grey’s Anatomy, Sex and the City) are back in a miniseries that focuses on one character per issue. This one, spotlighting Patriot, is written by Ed Brubaker, the guy who killed Captain America.
Legion of Super-Heroes #38: This is the second issue from former Marvel editor-in-chief Jim Shooter. An observation or two is available after the jump.
Testament #22: Huh. It took Douglas Rushkoff only 22 issues to tell "the true story of the Bible."
The Web Site Home Run Derby has compiled a bunch of YouTube clips of baseball stadium demolitions over the last few decades, including St. Louis' Busch Stadium and Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia.
You know ... in case you felt the urge to watch massive amounts of concrete tumble to the earth.
I agree, Hunter -- damn, Irish lass!!! She blew it out of the park -- what are you talking about, Simon?!? Carly, you can do a happy little jig now -- and make sure you have your visa paperwork in line this time!! Oh, yes, and feel free to ditch the scary tattoo-faced guy friend of yours ... eeeek!!!
Anyone who looks like Ace can bully me anytime!! LOL!
I'm glad you decided to step up and defend your man, Ace. I admit that Ace was attractive. And I admit that I generally hate the Idol contestants who are too attractive. Probably has something to do with being bullied by better looking kids in school. Wow. Live blogging is my therapy! So what's up with this Irish chick? I think she's great. Way better than half the contestants who made the top twelve last year. And the tattoos are a nice touch.
Yeah, I felt like I needed to shower after his performances, cuz the stuff he was doing with his eyes, over the airwaves, was s-k-a-n-k-y!! But he wasn't without his charms -- and, oh, yeah -- HE WAS CUTE!!! He could sing. A little. Shut up, Hunter.
Ooh, this kid David who's singing John Mayer is pretty darn good!! With a fantastic back story!!
Sixteen-year-old David Archuleta is precious. And I really enjoyed when Randy started singing backup for him. Imagine that. An unexpected feel-good audition-show moment. First time for everything.
OMG. Alberto tells us, singing is "the ultimate rebuilding of my soul." Huh? He confesses that he lives in his imagination, maybe a bit too much. I'm gonna venture to guess that maybe his voice should live there, too, and never see the light of day ... yep, I'm right. Ouch.
"This show is really helping me to open up and be the person that I am inside my wall." But the only thing I liked about his audition was the hair flip at the beginning. Stay inside that wall, gentle flower.
I'm not letting it go, Farah. We're having an Ace Young debate tomorrow. If you need incriminating info against me in order to defend yourself, you can look up my many positive comments about Taylor Hicks and Katharine McPhee. I regret those to this day.
With her soulful rendition of an Aretha tune, Amanda actually reminded me of Kelly Clarkson -- lurve her! Plus she has Kelly's cute-as-a-chipmunk spunk. Hope she goes far!!
This chick Michelle just passed Simon a note, grade-school style. And now she's sitting on his lap. I understand the crush, but come on! Her sister Amanda did a good rendition of "When You Come Back To Me," but she's so in love with herself. I might not be able to stomach her for too long.
Wow, didn't Christopher and Monique listen to each other's singing??! I suppose if you suck at singing yourself, you're the worst judge of singing altogether, huh? But, damn, they both love their Whitney Houston, don't they? Go home!!!
"No children will be laughing after that," Simon quips after Christopher sings about the children being our future. Wow. So bad.
First of all, dreadful. Secondly, she said the song is called "I Believe in Miracles" (it's called "I Believe in You and Me") and then proceeded to sing two different songs in the span of a minute. And now she's crying. Lord.
A guy from Australia. Does everything have to remind me of Heath Ledger right now? I liked his Otis Redding song, though. Dang, something's in the water in San Diego.
He has the kind of name that I can just HEAR Ryan Seacrest saying during the Hollywood performance shows. Perrie Cataldo. Perrie Cataldo. And he did a cover of Boyz II Men that wasn't eyeroll-inducing, unlike every contestant on Diddy's Making the Band show.
Tetiana: Blonde, smiling, and self-possessed. But that's a killer song, "Someone to Watch Over Me." Dude, I'm kinda into this girl. And I think Simon is wrong about her. Welcome to Hollywood.
Well, last Tuesday we were blogging about Idol under the cloud of Brad Renfro's death, and this week it's Heath Ledger's. Unreal. But we have to be able to laugh in the wake of such bad news. Work from the pain. That's what good singers have to do. Tonight's Idol auditions come from San Diego, a place with weather so pretty that there's probably not much pain at all among the hopefuls. They're probably all smiling, blonde and self-possessed. But let's not make assumptions before the show's even started. Let's just soldier on...
Ledger's death harkens to a recent controversy: Should news agencies prepare obituaries for young celebrities like they commonly do with ex-presidents and world leaders? Editor & Publisher’s already been discussing this in light of news that the Associated Press has prepared an obit for Britney Spears.
But even if you think that's OK, would Ledger have even been on anyone's radar? Sure, Spears, Paris Hilton and Amy Winehouse would make easy picks. But I've never heard a disparaging remark about Ledger's behavior or anything about him and drugs.
How sad. Ledger, who plays The Joker in this year’s Batman sequel The Dark Knight, split from Dawson’s Creek star Michelle Williams in September. The couple, who met while filming 2005’s Brokeback Mountain, had a 2-year-old daughter Matilda.
The guy had talent. This is surreal, especially on the heels of Brad Renfro’s recent death.
The NYTimes has some more details: A masseuse arrived at his SoHo apartment about 3:30 p.m. ... masseuse and housekeeper knocked ... opened door and found Ledger unconscious. Police say they don't suspect foul play and that there were pills found near his body.
I saw There Will Be Blood over the weekend. It's good -- one of those artful movies that seems better and better the more you reflect upon it. But it filled me with an uncontrollable urge to slap someone; Daniel Day-Lewis just made it look so much fun. My wife and I have been engaging in open-palm slap-fighting ever since we left the theater. I'm a little worried that the neighbors will see and report us for domestic violence, but not worried enough to stop.
'JUNO' IS STILL IN, IF YOU'RE STILL IN
I’m pumped at all the love Juno got. And while many are comparing it to Little Miss Sunshine because even the greatest comedies rarely get to Oscar’s final five, I’ve got to say it’s a much smarter, sharper film. It probably won’t win, but it’s great to see it among the nominees. And Ellen Page’s nomination is equally awesome.
I HEART LAURA
Speaking of great nominees who won’t win, I’m glad Laura Linney scored a nod for her turn in The Savages. She’s such an understated, talented woman who shines in everything she’s in. But like Hunter, I have to agree that this one will probably go to Julie Christie or Marion Cotillard.
TWO-TIMING
I’m also putting my money on Cate Blanchett to win for her portrayal of Bob Dylan in I’m Not There, which should console her loss in the best lead actress category. Blanchett's not the first performer to be nominated for the lead and supporting categories in the same year.
As TDMN’s Stephen Becker points out, Jamie Foxx won the lead acting trophy for Ray in 2004 while losing the supporting award for Collateral. In 2002, Julianne Moore was nominated in the lead category for Far From Heaven and the supporting category for The Hours, but won neither.
But let’s not forget one of my favorites, Holly Hunter. In 1993, she won the lead trophy for The Piano, but lost the supporting award (she was nominated for The Firm) to her The Piano co-star Anna Pacquin.
ODDS AND ENDS
I’d love Casey Affleck to win for best supporting actor, but only because I think it would piss off his brother. I know Daniel Day Lewis is the favorite for lead actor, but a Johnny Depp upset would be sweet.
I’ve got a few more films to see before I make up my mind about best picture. But for some reason I’m dreading There Will Be Blood. You just never know how those Paul Thomas Anderson flicks are going to turn out.
Of course, thanks to the writer's strike, you could say the same thing about this year's Oscar ceremony.
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Juno
Lars and the Real Girl
Michael Clayton
Ratatouille
The Savages
'Juno' all the way, baby.
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Atonement
Away from Her
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood
Another vote-splittin' sitch for the final two, so I'll give it to 'The Diving Bell and the Butterfly' because it has an Oscar-worthy title.
ANIMATED FEATURE
Persepolis
Ratatouille
Sorry, 'Beowulf.' [Snicker]
DIRECTOR
Julian Schnabel, The DIving Bell and the Butterfly
Jason Reitman, Juno
Tony Gilroy, Michael Clayton
The Coen Brothers, No Country for Old Men
Paul Thomas Anderson, There Will Be Blood
My vote (wish I had one) is for Anderson. 'There Will Be Blood' gets under your skin because of its tension and flow, and that's all Anderson. Well, he DID get a major assist from Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood, who ... WHAT? HE WASN'T NOMINATED FOR HIS ORIGINAL SCORE? Screw the writers. I think I'm gonna picket.
Oh well. At least the duo from 'Once' got a best song nomination for 'Falling Slowly'. But Eddie Vedder's 'Into the Wild' tunes didn't. Sigh.
George Clooney, Michael Clayton
Daniel Day Lewis, There Will Be Blood
Johnny Depp, Sweeney Todd
Tommy Lee Jones, In the Valley of Elah
Viggo Mortensen, Eastern Promises
Man, this is a pretty strong group of actors. Clooney and Jones, though, in my mind stole spots from James McAvoy (Atonement) and the aforementioned Emile Hirsch (yeah, I'm not letting it go). But it probably doesn't matter, because Day-Lewis has this one in the bag. He was so good in 'There Will Be Blood' that his character shows up in my dreams, uninvited. And he's usually saying "There's an OCEAN of OIL underneath our feet!" My other favorite in this category is Viggo. Ahh, Viggo. What a role. What a film (that also deserves a few more nods, if ya ask me). What a buck-nekkid fight scene ...
The nominees are ...
Cate Blanchett, Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Julie Christie, Away from Her
Marion Cotillard, La Vie En Rose
Laura Linney, The Savages
Ellen Page, Juno
This is the only category where Juno was expected to shine, and for good reason: Ellen Page, who looked pretty one-note and Garofalo-ish in the trailers for the film, delivered a well-rounded and substantive performance that more than carried the movie. Talk about heart. Page may have to settle for a nomination, as both Cotillard and Christie are considered favorites for this award. But, ya know, I'd really LOVE to see Laura Linney take it home, after years of top-notch work that's gone mostly unnoticed in award land. I was telling a friend the other day that Linney and Mary Louise Parker are my favorite actresses because they do consistent work and don't get caught up in the glamour. Doesn't mean I don't want to see Linney on the red carpet ... writers, don't fail us now.
Casey Affleck, The Assassination of Jesse James ...
Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Charlie Wilson's War
Hal Holbrook, Into the Wild
Tom Wilkinson, Michael Clayton
Geez louise, 'Michael Clayton' cleaned up, didn't it? Strange for a low-key talker. Javier's the intellectual shoo-in for this one, but Hal Holbrook might just make through on sentimental votes. And that wouldn't be a bad thing -- he was the trembling voice of reason in 'Into The Wild,' and his performance still kind of gets to me. But so does Emile Hirsch's, and you don't see him on the best actor list. [Breathe, Hunter, breathe.]
Cate Blanchett, I'm Not There
Ruby Dee, American Gangster
Saoirse Ronan, Atonement
Amy Ryan, Gone Baby Gone
Tilda Swinton, Michael Clayton
Pleased to see Ruby Dee slip in there for a powerful performance, but if Cate Blanchett is winning an Oscar this year, it'll be for her transformative Dylan turn in 'I'm Not There.' Don't be surprised if Amy Ryan or Tilda Swinton steals it away, though. 'Michael Clayton' and 'Gone Baby Gone' are two films the academy will probably want to honor with acting awards, so they can get to bigger, better ones in the director and picture categories.
Just watched the announcement on ABC. Let's get to it.
BEST PICTURE
Atonement
Juno
Michael Clayton
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood
I think the last two on the list are probably the critical faves and the first one on the list could split the vote between them. 'Juno' is a big, pleasant suprise in this category, in the same way that 'Little Miss Sunshine' snuck through a couple of years ago. Where's 'Into the Wild'? Where's 'American Gangster'?
I'll admit that I initially scoffed at the notion of Heath Ledger portraying the Joker in the next Batman movie (The Dark Knight). Jack Nicholson did a pretty bang-up job back in Tim Burton's version. But after watching the trailer, I'm already hooked. Heath's got the creepy, sinister factor nailed, as compared to Jack's flamboyant-peacock approach.
Whoever said teen stars don't have a future in the business is just dead wrong:
"TotalPopStar.com Celebrity Judge Deborah Gibson Builds On Her Role as 'Mentor' by Launching Camp Electric Youth. Scholarship Auditions for Camp Electric Youth to be Held on February 2nd in Hollywood. Celebrating the Twentieth Anniversary of Her First Number One Hit Single, Deborah Gibson Gears Up for a Three Week Engagement of 'Pop Goes Broadway' at Harrah's Resort in Atlantic City from May 4-24."
Later in the press release, Gibson says that she was like "the Miley Cyrus of my generation." How dare she invoke the brilliance of Hannah Montana!?!?!
The SMU men's basketball team has been trying to drum up any attention it can get. (The seats are still bare at home games.) The commercials about coach Matt Doherty are pretty good, funny and annoying all at the same time. But they're good. Oh, wait ... I already said that. Take a look-see and discuss.
Green Bay TV station WLUK won't air a Saturday evening rerun of Seinfeld because Giants quarterback Eli Manning is a huge fan of the show. Manning, of course, will be staying in the area for Sunday's NFC Championship Game at Lambeau Field.
“We do not want to give any comfort to the enemy whatsoever when they come into town," the station's general manager, Jay Zollar, said. Check out this clip.
If I wasn't excited enough about SXSW before, I sho' is now.
From a press release:
Thursday, January 17, 2008 – NASHVILLE – The South By Southwest Music Conference and Festival returns to commandeer the streets and venues of Austin, Texas, March 7-16, 2008. On Friday, March 14, BMI will partner with SXSW to present global icon Dolly Parton live at the newly refurbished Austin City Music Hall (208 Nueces St). A peerless songwriter, recording artist, film star and international ambassador of American pop culture, Dolly Parton embodies the multifarious spirit of SXSW.
I had the misfortune of sitting within earshot during some of the more -- how can I say this nicely since they were locals? -- talent-challenged performances of the night. That guy with the Bon Jovi song was especially brutal. I'll bet Tylenol, Advil and other headache medicines can make a killing advertising during these early-season episodes.
I believe we've found the next William Hung -- what the eff was that?!?!?! On the plus side, we haven't seen dancing like that from Paula since she practiced with MC Scat Cat ... God help me. Some diety help me.
Is this guy Renaldo wearing homecoming mums on his sleeves?!? I suppose that's a very Texas touch ... I'm gonna go ahead and presume he has zero chance and is just here for the laughs. What say you??
Gotta say I'm a little underwhelmed by Dallas. But you know producers are hiding all the talented people until we get to the Hollywood round. That Burleson girl, Nina Shaw, was aiight. OK, let's see this audition that will TOTALLY BLOW OUR MINDS. The pimp costume looks promising, I guess.
Oh, Kyle. He works with kids?!?! He scares me, and I'm a all growed up!! Simon was right in calling his aspects of his performance menacing and demonic ... ::shivers:: I think it's a no.
I believe they are playing "She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy" while showing this Mississippi farmboy's backstory. Hey, Idol producers! I think like you! Hire me!
Drew's his name, and boy is he conntry... Simon hates it. I kinda love it. I just hope he makes it to the showtunes-themed round.
He's got a nice voice, but he moves a little too much like Taylor Hicks. That could be a problem. Watching the pre-commercial previews of the rest of the show (necessary? no), I'm already a fan of this guy on a tractor. Please let him be a good singer. And please let him sing "She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy."
Yikes. That Tammy from Grapevine looks like she needs to join Douglas. In a straitjacket ... yeech. She just sort of blacked out at certain periods. Music should be the last thing on her mind.
Damn, that girl was so nervous that she sang the wrong Celine Dion song. How often does that happen? Well, every day in my mirror, but maybe I'm revealing too much.
"All ya do is treat me ba-had, a-break mah heart and make me sa-had." Not even a modelicious hubby can save this chick. And what's with the jazz hands?
I could listen to this Douglas guy ramble all day long. About how his dad hates him because he sings so good. About how he learned everything he needs to know about vocalizing from Christina Aguilera. "OOO OOOH, NYEVIN ON A PRAAAR!"
I’d have sent her to Hollywood for that spot-on Britney impression, but thankfully her version of “Unchained Melody” (Simon’s favorite song, ahem) showed enough of her true self to earn her a shot. Too bad she’s from Houston. Can we have one shoo-in from the Big D, please?
It is the rare boy who gets through on Idol singing a gal's song, so why do they bother??!
Whoa, this Malloy chick does a SPOT-ON Britney Spears -- she should go out to California and just take over Brit's life. I mean, what are the chances that she's as much of a wreck in general as Brit??! Almost nada!! I think we have a winner ...
Aw, this farm girl, Kayla, is so cute -- I hope she has a chance! Yes, the Janis was uneven and rather weird. But, whoa, Simon says YES?!?! And Paula says NO?!?! Randy, of course, calls it pitchy -- and she's a go!!! What universe is this, indeed??
Her survivor story was inspirational, her Janis Joplin cover was terrible. But that's beside the point. Does she remind anyone else of Ellen Greene in the movie version of Little Shop of Horrors? Was that reference too obscure? Did Simon just say yes? Did she just make it to Hollywood? Am I even here?
Can we just put it out there that the guy who saves his fingernails is from Mississippi, not Texas? But it sounds like he has more talent in his pinky, gulp, fingernail than most of the people we've seen.
Thanks to your collection of trimmed fingernails, Brandon Green, my Stouffers mac n' cheese is on its way back on up. Disgusting -- I couldn't belive Ryan got that close to the plastic baggy of discards. Ugghhhh. And the singing's not impressing me, either ... he could go either way.
Jeez Louise, I thought this chaste guy was going to say that he's gay -- that would've been 10 times more interesting than his freaky weird vow to his dad and his future wife and that glittery necklace. To add insult to his injurious perf, Randy says, "Kiss some girls." Bwah!!!! Then maybe he could infuse some actual soul into his soul-music performance ...
Simon's right about her version of Faith Hill's "Stronger." Affected as hell. AND, she gave the exact same performance that Krum's Baylie Brown gave last year. Don't people get that you have to be an original to make it far on this show?
Speaking of Brown, she auditioned again this time around -- wonder if she'll make the show.
“I’m a member of the American Roller-Coaster Enthusiasts.” Yes. That’s the kind of weirdo I’m looking for. Now he’s singing. God help him. Save for the dramatic sigh at the end, that was a complete and uttah mess.
Wow, that rendition of Elliot Yamin's Wait For You must've had Elliott rolling around in his grave. And he's still alive -- couldn't Paul's family tell him the truth? Seems like no one's family tells them the truth on this show. Ah, well. Makes for riveting auditions, I suppose ...
Oooh, and Paul gives us the best quote yet, about Simon not being down on him: "And he goes down on just about everybody." Ahem.
Is it me, or did that stay-at-home Mom/former meth addict Jessica Brown look just like former Idol contestant Jessica Sierra?!?! Just me? Oookay. Hope she brings it after that back story ... sounds great so far!!
Cute ‘Dallas’-the-tv-show intro. But we seriously doubt Kelly is the “lone star” from here. Do they know how many reality shows look for contestants here?
Tonight, we get to see the characters who showed up to Dallas’ (OK, Irving’s) American Idol auditions. I was there at Texas Stadium for the first, judge-less round, so look for me. I’ll be the one with the notepad, circling the cattle herd of contestants and silently taunting them with my freedom. During last night’s Philly episode I got pretty tired of seeing people who hoped to get some camera time with their outrageous costumes. What I want in an Idol audition episode is some true weirdos – people who are strange without the aid of props or silly get-ups. What are you looking for? Do you have friends who auditioned? Join us in a few minutes and weigh in with your comments. We love you.
OK, I'll admit, earlier this week I was starting to feel a little sorry for Britney Spears and all her drama. But at some point the little voice in your head should chime in and say "what the heck are you doing!?!"
People reports that Britney was at a Rite Aid on Tuesday with her photog boyfriend, Adnan Ghalib (who happens to still be married). Oh, and they were SHOPPING FOR A PREGNANCY TEST. Seriously? Dr. Phil can't help her anymore after he went blabbing to the press. Maybe we can get this guy to help.
These days, if you are young and want to be a superstar, all you have to do is hook up with the Disney Channel or Nickelodeon. And you've got a chance with the latter this weekend:
The NBA said yesterday that Kevin Garnett’s Celtics jersey was the top seller at the NBA store and on NBAstore.com for the holiday season. Boston also was first in team merchandise sold for the first time since the lists were compiled in 2001. KG replaced Lakers star Kobe Bryant, who dropped to No. 2. Denver's Allen Iverson is third, followed by Cleveland's LeBron James and Phoenix guard Steve Nash.
Matthew McConaughey is gonna be a daddy. He made the announcement on his Web site today. The actor and his 22-year-old Brazilian model girlfriend, Camilla Alves. According to his post, she's three months pregnant. Awww.
Prediction: The trend is for pregnant celebrities to grace the cover of magazines with their protruding tummies and no clothes. But since McConaughey is photographed more often WITHOUT a shirt, Camilla will probably be photographed in full coverage.
So it looks like we're on schedule with the Dallas episode coming tomorrow. What happened to San Diego, I have no idea. Did you notice how the preview footage made Dallas look like a huge open pasture with cows? I think now that the producers are the ones who need to go back to school. See y'all tomorrow!
Costumes are soooo first-season-of-Idol -- why do they continue to let them in?!?! But forget that -- Dallas is up next tomorrow!!! I'll reserve all my audition-episode hate for after that episode, hehe!!
Watching this Brooke White girl sing to the babies she's taking care of makes me sort of queasy. And now she's talking about how she doesn't drink, smoke or watch R-rated movies. Aaand she's going to Hollywood. So help me God, if she becomes this season's Sanjaya, I'm picketing outside the Kodak Theater.
Christina, with her brilliant nerdiness, may not be the perfect fit for 'Idol' stardom, but I would watch the hell out of a Napoleon Dynamite sequel starring her.
I think I'm becoming one of those people who don't like the audition shows. Or maybe I just don't like that they last two hours. The guy who waxed his hair, though. Wow. I don't feel bad that he went to such trouble just to get rejected. He needed a wax, regardless.
Oooh, this Chris Watson has a smooth, silky voice. And that fantastic bone structure ain't hurtin' his chances in my book, either!! Cuuuuute!! And he's going through to Hollywood!!
Why can I already see that name on the cover of a country album? Her "Amazing Grace" didn't give me chills or anything, but I predict she'll do pretty well when she gets to Hollywood. So, with Angela Martin, that makes two contestants so far that are possible Top-Twelvers.
... If we're still in Philadelphia, and we've still got San Diego to go before we get to the Dallas auditions, does that mean we won't see our city's own this week? Me confused.
Alyse has a lovely personality and an even lovelier salmon dress. Too bad she broke every mirror in Philly with her rendition of "Feeling Good." Hurts.
I can't go without acknowledging that it's a little difficult to focus on live 'Idol' blogging with the Brad Renfro news in the back of my mind. It's heartbreaking that such a talented guy is gone. His work in 'Bully' and several other films hinted at great insight into the human condition, something every good actor needs. But I was most impressed with his breakout part in 'The Client.' To show such range at a young age isn't something most people can do. But that's all for now -- I'm sure we'll hear more about the circumstances of his passing in days to come. Back to regularly scheduled programming ...
You know, her singing wasn't terrible, even if her look was. At least the judges are telling her she's good enough to be in a cover band, as if that's not some sort of sly dig.
I think her look was probably just a little overwhelming to pass muster. I'm rather enjoying her post-audition freakout. I'm sure they'll parade her onstage for the finale.
"I'm going for actressing! ... I'm gonna show you guys that I CAN be victorious and [expletive] [expletive] [expletive]."
Brad Renfro, whose film career began at age 12 with The Client before dissolving as he struggled with drug and alcohol problems, has died, reports the Associated Press. He was 25. His body was found in his Los Angeles home early today, said his lawyer, Richard Kaplan. The cause of death was not immediately known. Renfro served 10 days in jail in May 2006 after pleading no contest to driving while intoxicated and pleading guilty to attempted possession of heroin. His other film credits included Bully, Ghost World and The Jacket.
"It was just completely tuneless. Nothing was right! Just, slightly disturbing, the whole audition." This was after Simon referred to the contestant, named Udi, as "Oogy."
Mark Hayes, I’m tired of your cricket-sound trick, and I only just heard about it. I can’t imagine what your friends think of it. Oh, and your version of White Christmas would make a Bing Crosby hologram want to kick your ass. Hey, maybe they can arrange that for the Idol Gives Back special!
And Udgeet?? The So You Think You Can Dance tryouts are two doors down ... People really say he sounds like Sinatra?? "How 'bout I give "My Way" another try?" he threatens, as Paula howls. This is what Idol is made of ...
Why does Idol bother investing time in people's back stories if they're gonna sing like Temptress. Yes, Simon, she's a nice person, but homegirl can't sang!! Oh, don't cry!!! One Quick staffer remarked that she "sings like a Chia pet. If a Chia pet could sing." Huh?!?? And yet I totally agree.
You know, hearing these people sing badly at the top of their lungs really makes you feel sorry for the judges, even if they do get paid insane amounts of dough.
All of these people getting sent to Hollywood right now -- good on 'em, but I've yet to see anything that blew me away. We had a Ruben wannabe, a Zac Efron wannabe, and an Enrique Iglesias wannabe.Maybe the female football player will impress me. We'll see.
It was cool to see the Idol judges advance a singer who crooned Toni Braxton's "Unbreak My Heart" in Spanish ... wonder if we'll see more of that tomorrow night in the Dallas episode!!
James, 22, tour guide. Claims he sounds like Eddie Vedder from Pearl Jam. I think he sounds more like a 45 RPM record on 33 speed. God, I love when the judges can’t contain their laughter. OMG Paula just snorted.
Egypt import Alaa won me over immediately when he said a girl told him, "You are sexy face." Too bad his rendition of the Bee Gees' "How Deep Is Your Love" didn't charm me quite as much. But at least he got a little flirting with Paula in there. I was waiting for someone to do that, and it didn't take long.
Idol should get a citation for exploiting people like that!! Sexy face was adorable, though.
That cutesy Melanie Nyema gave a sprightly rendition of "Unwritten," though -- she was pretty spunky!!
James Lewis' voice will haunt my nightmares tonight, fo sho. But when Randy lifts a sheet of paper to his face to laugh behind, it's over for me -- too funny!!! And, HA, we've got our first, "would you like me to sing something else?" of the season!!!
Yay!! Joey, our first prospect in Philly, is going to Hollywood -- I hope this is an ongoing trend for the auditions, for us to actually see talented people, and not just oddly dressed freaks who warble into the camera. Oooh, look what's coming up ... an oddly dressed freak yelling into the camera. I see some things on Idol never change ...
I love how this show has to give you the history lesson on every city it visits for the audition process. It's almost like producers are banking on the fact that its audience didn't pay attention in government class. Really? The Liberty Bell is in Philadelphia? I didn't know that!
Ahh, it looks like the first auditioner, Joey, lost a huge amount of weight. Let's see if he can sing ... And he can! Good. Glad I didn't invest in his personal story for no reason.
Is everybody here? Are we ready? The breathless American Idol blogging will begin in a few minutes. There are some who hate these first episodes, which have a history of highlighting the suckalicious and leaving out the truly talented. Last season even Paula joined in the crueltyfest, often waiting until freaky auditioners left the room before making fun of them. But my prediction is that the judges will back off the "bush baby" comments a bit and just focus on how bad the warbling is. And I hear there's plenty of bad warbling this time around. As for me, I love the folks who are so hopeless that they are more entertaining than the ones who actually can sing. But that's enough for now. I'm just typing to distract myself from my OVERWHELMING EXCITEMENT. IDOL SEASON IS HAPPENING. AAA!
A California family wanted to fulfill their ailing grandmother's last wish and took her on a road trip to visit family in Arkansas. Then they decided to go see other relatives in Oregon. But Grandma didn't make it Oregon. According to a report in The Oregonian, the 78-year-old woman died somewhere in Wyoming, but the family decided to keep driving to Oregon, then called police.
Hey, at least they didn't tie her to the top of the car or leave her on a doorstep.
From the world of sports, here is Cowboys receiver Patrick Crayton trying to analyze the Cowboys' season: "You try to not let anything in the past become the present next year."
Couldn't have said it better ourselves.
And this from Mavericks guard and lifelong Packers fan Devin Harris: “It’s great for Brett [Favre]. He's older than dirt, but he’s playing great."
Britney made it to court! Well, for about five minutes. Then she was too freaked out and had to get back in the car. But still, it's a start. After, she stopped by a church with that paparazzo dude she's been hanging around with, and OK! Magazine injected some of its own drama, bringing up the possibility of a third marriage for Brit.
Zac, Vanessa and the rest of the gang have signed on for High School Musical 3: Senior Year. [Insert 12-year-old girl screech here.] People reports that this will be the final installment. [Inster 12-year-old girl crocodile tears here.]
It's been just over a week since Britney's meltdown, but today there's a hearing scheduled to determine if she should get back her visitation rights with Sean Preston and Jayden James. No word yet on if Brit will show up to the hearing in L.A. (she may be too busy hanging out in her old wedding dresses with her married photog boy toy), but K-Fed's lawyer suggested to the Associated Press that she would have to appear in person if she wants to press her request to see her children. “You can’t phone this one in,” he said. Good one.
I've spent my fair share of time logging frequent flier miles the last few years, and in the process I've had airline meals ranging from not too bad to utterly disgusting. But I would have never guessed that there's a Web site devoted to nothing but airline food. At Airlinemeals.net, you can browse hundreds of photos of airline meals, categorized by airline. Weird, huh? So the next time you're about to bite into that rock-hard roll in economy class, grab your camera and snap a pic to send in.
Well, the Cowboys' stunning 21-17 playoff loss to the Giants speaks for itself. All we can do is discuss important things ... such as some of the signs at Texas Stadium yesterday, including an advertising plane (above).
* A teenager held one that read: "I wish I was in Mexico with Jessica."
* "Dump Jessica”
* "Hey, Tony, you want a REAL Texas girl!"
* And this change-up: "Jessica can have Tony. I [heart] Wade Phillips."
Did you ever wonder who your favorite celebrity was backing for president? Well, maybe you can find out on this list of campaign donations. Or just pick up Monday's Quick for a far more pleasing-to-the-eye presentation.
The Giants are a touchy subject tonight, but did you happen to catch the Mannings' Oreo commercial today? Peyton and Eli declare they are becoming two-sport athletes and join the "Double Stuf Racing League." It's hilarious.
Best television drama goes to Mad Men. OK, I'm checking this one out for sure. How fun would the cast and crew had if there had been a ceremony? What a night for a breakout show.
Best actress in a movie drama goes to Julie Christie for her protrayal of an Alzheimer’s patient in Away From Her.
Daniel Day Lewis, already a favorite for the Oscar, takes best actor in a movie drama for There Will Be Blood.
And the final award for the evening, best dramatic movie - and we're still under the hour-mark here, folks - goes to Atonement, this year's most nominated film. I figured it was that or No Country for Old Men.
Julian Shnabel takes the best director award for The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. Um what? Who? Huh? What happened to the Cohen brothers? Or that guy who did Atonement?
And best movie actor for a comedy or musical is Johnny Depp for Sweeney Todd. The only surprise here is that it's his first Globe.
And Sweeney Todd also takes best musical or comedy film. I haven't seen this. But I fail to see how anything is better than Juno, the most ingenious movie in decades. Or at least years.
David Duchovny takes one for best tevleision comedy actor for Californication, a breakout Showtime fave. He beats Steve Carrell, Alec Baldwin and that British guy.
HBO's Extras wins best television comedy, besting Entourage (my personal favorite), Pushing Daisies and Emmy winner 30 Rock.
Tina Fey wins her first Globe for best actress in a television comedy for 30 Rock. Good for her. Personally, I love Weeds'Mary Louise Parker, but I guess she's won her share of gold before.
Best movie supporting actor goes to Javier Bardem for No Country for Old Men. He was such a shoo-in, I wrote that last sentence before they announced it. Sadly, Travolta does not win for playing the lovable Edna in Hairspray.
These "assessments" featuring entertainment reporters flapping at the mouth suck.
Queen Latifah picks up best actress in a mini-series or tv movie. Pretty cool, considering she lost the Emmy for her same role in Life Support. Besides, she just rocks.
Jon Hamm wins for the much-hyped Mad Men, a period piece about the advertising industry of the 1960s. Haven't seen it. But I want to now. The first season is rerunning this month on AMC.
Ratatouille takes best animated movie.
Some French chick takes best actress in a comedy or musical for some French sounding movie that roughly translates into the Pink Life. Or the Life in Pink. Whatever, Ellen Page was robbed. If you haven't seen Juno, go now. No, seriously, go get your keys and leave the house and/or office. It's that good.
Things are moving fast with this year's press conference amid the writer's strike.
Cate Blanchett wins best supporting actress in a movie for playing Bob Dylan. Can John Travolta also score a win for playing drag in Hairspray?
Jeremy Piven takes home another best supporting television actor trophy for playing the love-to-hate agent Ari in Entourage.
And in the powerhouse-packed best lead actress in a television drama category, Glenn Close won for Damages, besting fellow nominees and awesome performers Kyra Sedgwick, Minnie Driver, Edie Falco and Sally Field.
And Samantha Morton won best supporting TV actress forLongford. Never heard of it. But I did like her in Minority Report, so game on.
And is it just me or does that announcer guy have a mullet?
Well it seems Hannah Montana just can’t avoid controversy. Or at least, portrayer Miley Cyrus can’t. First, fans got peeved due to high concert ticket prices. Then, a local fan stirred things up when she won a contest to see the popular singer by writing a fictional essay about her dad dying in Iraq.
That win in New Hampshire has John McCain feeling cocky. On Tuesday night, the Late Show with David Letterman debuted a new segment, "2008 Candidate Profiles." The first two editions featured the Arizona senator looking straight into the camera and saying nothing more than the following:
Tuesday: “Ladies and gentlemen, a buddy of mine once dared me to drink a quart of motor oil. I drank two and made $40.”
Wednesday: "My fellow Americans, I use Canadian quarters to buy Twix bars in Senate vending machines. What are you gonna do about it?"
Avril Lavigne has reportedly reached a settlement with 1970s rock band the Rubinoos over claims that her hit "Girlfriend" plagiarized their 1979 single "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend." No word on whether Lavigne will pony up any cash for borrowing from Toni Basil's '80s hit "Mickey" or the Rolling Stones' '60s classic "Get off of My Cloud" with the same song.
The Hardline guys read an official statement from the station this afternoon, announcing the resignation of longtime co-host Greg "The Hammer" Williams.
Said Mike Rhyner, who will continue to do the 3-7 p.m. show with Corby Davidson: "Today, you have the official word. ... We plan to stay here and keep this thing where it's always been."
Rhyner added that the show will probably bring in another voice at some point.
I came across this column that has a solution for Giants fans who aren't happy Jessica Simpson won't be at this Sunday's game. Check out the solution here. I ask you - would anyone really know the difference? Or then there's always this option.
Some critics said that on the first night Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert returned to the airwaves, the faker of the fake news guys (Colbert) put on a better show. But after three nights, I've gotta say that the man who plays himself on TV has come out stronger.
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart has just been more consistent. And Stewart is able to make most of the 30 minutes seem like he's still using writers. In fact, in some ways, he seems to have more energy that he did with the scripts.
Sure, I'm still going to spend a precious hour when I could be sleeping watching both guys -- each is tremendously funny in his own way. But am I the only one to notice that The Colbert Report just seems thin? (Though his joke last night about understanding Ellen's reasoning for dancing through the crowd -- to kill time -- was worth a snicker.)
It just came down from Normy Norm on The Ticket, and no, it's not about The Hardline lineup. But Norm says to tune in at 5:15 for more details there.
Instead, the big announcement was an all-star lineup for Ticketstock at the Plano Centre on Feb. 8-9, including appearances by Mike Modano, Marty Turco, Patrick Crayton and the great Nolan Ryan.
If you're lucky enough to have scored a playoff ticket for Sunday's Cowboys-Giants game at Texas Stadium, the Cowboys are requesting you wear white to mark the return of postseason football to Texas Stadium. (It's been some time, in case you've been living under a rock.) The first 40,000 fans inside the gates will receive a white rally towel courtesy of American Airlines.
And we know you can't wait for Neal McCoy to entertain you at the half. Score!
Reports of a breakup between New York and Tailor Made are false, and there are no plans for a third season of I Love New York, according to VH1. That's good news. The story also mentions that New York appears in the Ice Cube film First Sunday, which opens tomorrow. I wonder if it'll be as well acted as her Nip/Tuckcameo.
I never bought into the idea that Jessica Simpson was somehow sabotaging Tony Romo's play from the stands. But still, it is the playoffs, so it's better to be safe than sorry. So it's a good thing that she won't be attending Sunday's game against New York -- much to the chagrin of many Giants' fans.
Billboard is reporting that Thom Yorke and company have confirmed the list of cities for their upcoming U.S. tour, including Dallas, but there are no dates or venues set. Still, that combined with In Rainbows' No. 1 showing on the Billboard 200 is reason enough to knock back a few.
That girl needs some help. And I'm not talking about the type of help Dr. Phil tried to give Britney. This calls for serious intervention, like a reunion of the Fab Five. Amy needs your help!
It really sucks that there are no new scripted shows to enjoy right now (from what I hear, Cashmere Mafia doesn't count), which makes TV-on-DVD shows such a godsend! Here in the Quick office, we're easing the pain by sharing our collections. Jeff has loaned me season 2 of The Office, I've loaned him the first season of Heroes, and Annie's let me borrow three seasons of Alias (above)!! Between all that and my brand-new second-season DVD of Sex and the City, maybe I can hold out a bit longer while the writers hash it out. But only a bit. Thankfully, Lost will return soon to further dull my pain ...
Did you hear that Tyler Perry has joined the cast of the next Star Trek movie? He's going to play the head of Starfleet Academy in the prequel featuring a young Kirk, Spock, etc.
Hulk #1: OK, I thought the Hulk died at the end of World War Hulk. So who is the big red guy starring in this new ongoing series by Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness?
Onslaught Reborn #5 (of 5): Coincidentally, here's the final issue of Loeb's and Rob Liefeld's revival of their much-maligned "Heroes Reborn" concept from the '90s.
Youngblood #1: Ooh, here's another coincidence. Image is reviving one of its original titles, the one conceived by none other than Rob Liefeld.
Jenna Jameson’s Shadow Hunter #0: Liefeld's reputation is so shot at this point that a series conceived by him might not do as well as this one conceived by porn star Jenna Jameson. And this preview issue has another thing going for it: It costs only 25 cents.
J. Edgar Hoover: A Graphic Biography: I wonder if this book will touch upon the former FBI director's rumored penchant for dressing like Jenna Jameson.
The Foundation #1 (of 5): Ooh, even more history. This new series is about secret agents tasked by Nostradamus to prevent his own prophecies from coming true.
The Amazing Spider-Man #546: Enough history! That's what Marvel said when they jettisoned Spider-Man's 20 years of marriage with a magic spell. Here's the first issue starring the newly single wall-crawler.
The Twelve #1 (of 12): But wait, there's more history to be discussed. J. Michael Straczynski takes on a group of forgotten heroes from Marvel's past. He's the same writer who penned the story that ended Spidey's marriage, then disavowed the whole thing.
JLA: Classified #50: Speaking of controversial creators, I'll readily admit to being a fan of John Byrne. His extensive Fantastic Four run in '80s was one of the seminal comics of my youth. Here, he begins a five-issue arc drawing a story by Roger Stern.
Not only are there People's Choice Awards for best movie, best movie (drama), best movie (comedy), best action movie and best family movie, there's also one for best "threequel."
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End took home the ... uh ... whatever it is they give out at the People's Choice Awards, beating out Spider-Man 3, Shrek the Third and The Bourne Ultimatum. Jump for the complete winners' list.
Bill Gates delivered the keynote address at the Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas this week. There was a star-studded video detailing his last day at Microsoft. Take a look.
As a movie fanatic, I've become a keen judge of not just films, but film trailers, and I love trying to predict, based on a trailer, how good a movie will be -- and will do. I've developed quite a knack at sniffing out whether a movie will hit or bomb, which has saved me time, money and grief at the box office -- I hope to do the same for you! I'm just gonna go ahead and try to skip spring movies, since now's the season for studios to release crap that's either been shelved for ages or not good enough to stay afloat in the hot summer blockbuster period or end-of-year Oscar movie season. Let's kick things off with Speed Racer ...
Scott Baio's comeback has already seemed to fizzle out, but VH1 is still hanging on. The network is premiering Scott Baio is 46 ... And Pregnant at 9 p.m. Jan. 13. In this follow-up to Scott Baio is 45 ... And Single, Baio struggles with impending fatherhood after finally committing to his girlfriend. Check out the promotional photo above. We're scared for the baby already.
Michael Jordan has been removed from the game for about five years, but Air Jordans appear to be hotter than ever. Nike is releasing the magical 23rd edition of the shoe in the next month.
The Air Jordan XX3 (wait for it ... oooooooh) initially will be sent to only 23 retailers and sold for $230, according to the Associated Press. The shoes will go for $185 during the later national launch. Hope you've been saving your pennies.
Jordan, of course, made the No. 23 famous, so Nike could decide to retire the line at this point. Nike and Jordan won't say.
If the Super Bowl pop-outski and lackluster recent albums haven't turned you off completely to the woman who rocked Rhythm Nation, you might want to tune into BET in, oh, five minutes or so. 106 & Park is premiering the video for "Feedback," Miss Jackson's new single. It's admittedly catchy, although the vocal processing and dumb-ass lyrics make one wonder why she even bothered. I mean, socially-conscious lyrics may not be the best move for an aging pop singer, but she could think of something a little better than "Strum me like a guitar/blow out my amplifier."
The Associated Press is reporting that Season 5 American Idol winner Taylor Hicks has been dropped by his label, J Records. "Taylor is going to record on his own for the next album," J Records publicist Liz Morentin says. Ouch!! What ever happened to the Soul Patrol, his band of rabid fans?! They weren't buying his albums, that's for sure: Hicks' post-Idol album sold a respectable-yet-disappointing 699,000 copies.
"Transform Your Toilet Lid In Seconds.
Uniquely Decorative Toilet Tattoos Make Bathrooms Flush With Beauty.
www.Toilet-Tattoos.com
(Macedonia, Ohio) - It's a product that will add a creative new
decorating touch to bathrooms and restrooms worldwide. For
years, the only toilet decorating options were the dreaded
rug-like covers that Grandma used or the more permanent
decorative seat. But now a new patent pending concept in toilet
décor called Toilet Tattoos is aimed at satisfying today's
modern need for an easy, quick and changeable decorating
solution."
Dr. Phil announced today that he's shelving plans for a show on Britney Spears' latest meltdown, but some in the mental health community say the TV host went too far when he showed up at her hospital room over the weekend.
"It's true people sometimes need to be placed under involuntary mental health treatment because they can't take care of themselves," veteran psychiatrist Dr. Jeffrey Sugar said of the 26-year-old Spears. "But there's a difference between being detained involuntarily for psychological treatment and being forced to endure Dr. Phil involuntarily."
The Associated Press is reporting that Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban are expecting their first child together. Awww!! That baby's gonna be musically, theatrically and follicularly blessed. I mean, check out its parents' hair!!
VH1 ran a Top Modelthon this weekend, clogging my DVR with episodes from the last two cycles I needed to catch up on, but the plus side was seeing promos for the deliciously crappy shows premiering. I'm not all that interested in the miracle of modern science that is Scott Baio being pregnant, but that's out there, along with Season 2 of Rock of Love, which might actually have more skanks than Season 1. Then my favorite Top Model Adrianne Curry, who might also be pregnant, hashes it out with Chris Knight in My Fair Brady. And how could I forget Celebrity Rehab? I guess Lindsey Lohan is still somehow too A-list for this show, which features a Baldwin, an American Idol finalist and, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Jaimee Foxworth the girl from Family Matters?!
If the Academy Awards fall victim to the same fate of the Golden Globes, I’m going to go knock-down, drag-out, full-on Russell Crowe crazy on someone’s ass. IJS.
"First Look Studios, in association with Insight Film Studio, announces the DVD release of BLONDE AND BLONDER.
BLONDE AND BLONDER is a comic romp about two blonde bombshells (Pamela Anderson and Denise Richards) in the wrong place at the right time. After accidentally witnessing a mob hit, the gals are mistaken for assassins by two mafia men working for The Godfather. Thinking the dim-witted duo are the world's best killers-for-hire, the mobsters offer them a huge payout to 'take out' Mr. Wong, the head of the Chinese mafia. The clueless cuties happily accept the assignment, embarking on a wild adventure that takes them from Niagara Falls to Las Vegas -- all while trying to dodge assorted federal agents, mafia and killers."
MTV news recently reported that there will be NO GOLDEN GLOBES TELECAST due to the writers' strike. The winners will still be announced, but there will be no ceremony. It's reportedly the first awards show casualty of the Writers Guild of America strike. Maybe the stars will still walk down a fake red carpet -- just for us.
So I forgot that American Gladiators was on last night and instead caught the series premiere – I’m sorry, the series “sneak preview” – of Cashmere Mafia.
It’s a fast-paced show about four female friends in New York out to prove you can have it all – career, fun, family, friendship. And in between their professional and personal adventures, they always find time to sit down with each other over drinks or dinner and catch up. It’s a completely original, fresh concept. If you’ve never seen Sex and the City.
"It’s official—FOX has announced AMERICAN IDOL’s journey to North Texas last August will be the subject of a TWO-HOUR edition Wednesday, January 16th at 7pm on FOX 4!
More than 13,000 hopefuls packed Texas Stadium on August 6, 2007 to fulfill their dreams of stardom. Next Wednesday, you’ll see who showed up, who made it in front of Randy, Paula & Simon…and who’s going to Hollywood!
AMERICAN IDOL returns for a seventh season Tuesday, January 15th only on FOX 4!"
I'm sure you've realized from coverage in years past that I'll be all over this like one of Simon's tight black v-necks.
Andrew Morton, the infamous biographer who has chronicled the lives of Princess Diana and Monica Lewinsky, among others, has a new book about a certain Hollywood star and ambassador of Scientology. Tom Cruise: An Unauthorized Biography is full of allegations about Cruise's personal life and his dealings with the Church of Scientology.
Among the bizarre charges is that sperm from Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard may have been used to inseminate Cruise's wife, Katie Holmes, for the birth of daughter Suri. I'm thinking that one sounds a little far-fetched, but after Cruise's weird antics on Oprah, I wouldn't put anything past him.
We've heard about NASCAR drivers learning new tracks by driving them on video games. Well, LSU quarterbacks Matt Flynn and Ryan Perrilloux have been analyzing Ohio State's defense in preparation for Monday's BCS national championship game by playing Xbox.
XOS Technologies and EA Sports have produced the PlayAction Simulator that LSU has used this season. The simulator includes LSU's offensive plays and its opponents' defenses. That way, the quarterbacks can learn to make the correct reads at the line of scrimmage.
American Gladiator made it's return to television tonight and it's just as addictive as the previous version.
While a lot of things have stayed the same on the show, the biggest difference I noticed was in the Eliminator -- the final event of the show. They've added a swimming element -- under fire, no less -- and moved the elevated treadmill toward the end of the course
It seems to make a definite difference in the contender's endurance, which was evident in the first group of women that ran the through the course. Gotta say, I laughed myself to tears as they tried to get up the treadmill at the end. It was more like watching a fish flop around out of water than watching world-class athletes in action.
This weekend's warm weather got me thinking about what races are going on around town. Ironically, we're at that time of year where every race has a cold-themed name! Take Saturday's Snowman Shuffle sponsored by Thruston Racing, for example, followed by the Too Cold to Hold and Bold in the Cold races on the 19th.
Early forecasts look like these races won't live up to their names, so register away.
Television host Dr. Phil McGraw says that Britney Spears was released from a Los Angeles hospital Saturday but still needs psychological help. The pop star was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center by paramedics Thursday night after police were called to her home because of a dispute involving the two sons she had with ex-husband Kevin Federline.
"My meeting with Britney and some family members this morning in her room at Cedars leaves me convinced more than ever that she is in dire need of both medical and psychological intervention," McGraw told Entertainment Tonight and The Insider.
Which begs the question: Why on earth is Dr. Phil going to visit Britney? Are his motives purely altruistic, or can we expect a "very special episode" of Dr. Phil this week? Bet on the latter.
Tonight is the moment we've all been waiting for -- the I Love New York Reunion!! According to VH1's Web site, blood will be shed and a penis exposed. Huh?? Whatever -- even if the most exciting thing is Midget Mac reading a nursery rhyme to Wolf, I'm so there!! The show airs tonight at 8 p.m. on VH1 -- and I tragically forgot to set my DVR -- but will probably re-air thousands of times before Thursday. Enjoy!!
Entertainment Weekly is reporting that late-night hosts Jay Leno and Jimmy Kimmel will be guests on each others programs in a show of solidarity. ABC's Jimmy Kimmel will appear on NBC's The Tonight Show on Jan. 10, followed by an appearance by Leno on Kimmel Live later on the same night. I would have to think that late-night TV is loving this, especially considering that this writers' strike has given them more attention than viewers have in the past few years.
Anyone else out there a fan of The Wire? It seems almost everyone I talk to loves it as much as I do, but it continues to get snubbed in Hollywood. The Associated Press recently moved an interview with executive producer David Simon, and he says that he doesn't really care. “I don't give a (expletive) if we ever win one of their little trinkets,” Simon told Newsweek. “I don't care if they ever figure out we're here in Baltimore. Secretly, we all know we get more ink for being shut out. So at this point, we wanna be shut out. We wanna go down in flames together, holding hands all the way.” Watch the premiere of the final season (sob) tonight on HBO. This season focuses on the media and the newsroom (big sob). Even though this show is technically fiction, it's grittier and more realistic than all the reality TV out there. I'll definitely be watching.
Elisa, the last Project Runway contestant with a Texas tie, was Auf'd on last night's show after failing to create a whimsical enough garment for the judges out of materials stocked at a Hershey's candy store in Times Square. Chin up, Elisa, that was an effed-up challenge to begin with!
I've heard of pandering for votes, but this is ridiculous ... and funny.
Chris Bosh, the former Lincoln High standout, is currently third in Eastern Conference All-Star voting at forward -- behind LeBron James and Kevin Garnett.
If you want to see a new movie tomorrow, you can go for the critically acclaimed There Will Be Blood (story here), or you can take your chances on One Missed Call, a horror movie that, ahem, wasn't screened for critics. But the premise of the thing is entertaining, if a little absurd: Several young, attractive people start receiving voicemails from their future selves, which contain ... wait for it ... information about how they die. And there's that laugh-inducing line in the trailer: "That's not my ringtone! [DUN DUN!]"
Since a horror film about voicemail didn't seem likely a few years ago, we're willing to go out on a limb and predict the release of the following titles in the next few years:
•A Nightmare on Facebook
•Rosemary's BlackBerry
•28 Wiis Later
•Evite to Hell
•The Texting Chainsaw Massacre
•Night of the Blogging Dead
•The Ringtone
•MySpaceballs
•I Know What You E-mailed Last Summer
•Invasion of the Virus Attachers
•IM Legend
•The Hills Have iPods
Got any other ideas, oh clever readers? Comment away.
The Stars lost to the Red Wings, 4-1, on Wednesday night. But the real story is that the Wings, owned by Little Caesars founder Mike Ilitch, honored Mike Modano before the game by presenting him with a framed Little Caesars jersey with his name and number.
See, Modano, who became the highest-scoring American-born player in NHL history earlier this season, is a native of Livonia, Mich., a Detroit suburb. He played for the Little Caesars youth hockey organization as a kid.
By the way, whatever happened to the square pizzas?
Jamie Lynn Spears, the pregnant 16-year-old sister of Britney Spears, is returning to the air. Her Nickelodeon show Zoey 101 will air Friday, and the network says it has no plans to yank the show from its schedule. It should be fun for her faithful kid audience to watch for all the pregnancy-disguising props and camera tricks. "Mommy, why is Zoey always carrying around that giant balloon?"
The writers strike has led to some interesting ideas for reality shows, including this one about redneck nuptials. And who better than to host it than Tom Arnold, ex-hubby of Roseanne? I can't wait to see the mattress surfing at the reception.
Law & Order, the longest-running crime drama in television history, returns at 8 p.m. tonight with a two-hour episode. Creator Dick Wolf promises that the additions of Jeremy Sisto (pictured, right) and Linus Roache will usher in the “next generation of the show.”
Sisto plays a detective and Roache is an assistant district attorney. Series mainstay Jack McCoy, played by Sam Waterston for 13 seasons, finds himself with a promotion – he takes over as Manhattan’s district attorney.
While I love the show, it’s going to be hard to take Sisto seriously. After watching him sexually harass Alicia Silverstone in Clueless and try to stay on his bipolar meds in Six Feet Under, I automatically cringe every time he comes on screen.
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