Two of our favorite unseen films of 2010 come out on home video this week, one a remake of the beloved Swedish vampire film, the other a super-low-budget movie about alien invaders that looks as good as any other this side of "District 9." If you're in the mood for something of a less recent vintage, there are two great English films now on DVD.
“Conviction”
Over the years, the Hilary Swank Formula has become all too predictable. Mix 2 parts tearjerker with 1 part against-all-odds-heroine, add a dash of spunk and a sprinkle of tragedy and you've got your next vehicle for the two-time Oscar winner. This one is no exception to that blueprint.
“Let Me In”
There are sure to be fans of “Let the Right One In” who simply not will allow themselves to enjoy "Let Me In," insisting that it can’t be as good as the original, and that’s a shame, because this a very good film on its own terms. As a wise man once said, Don’t compare, enjoy.
“Monsters”
Made on a shoestring budget in just three weeks with only two professional actors and a crew of about 5, “Monsters” manages to be smarter, creepier, and more thoughtful than most movies made with 100 times the budget.
“Never Let Me Go”
Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield and Keira Knightley star in the adaptation of the bestselling novel by Kazou Ishiguro about an English boarding school where the children are being prepared for a grim future.
“Night Catches Us”
Anthony Mackie stars as an ex Black Panther who returns to his old Philadelphia neighborhood only to find that his former brothers in arms suspect him of having played a part in a compatriot's death.
“The Tillman Story”
Appalling, disturbing, beautifully assembled and emotional, Amir Bar-Lev ("My Kid Could Paint That") weaves a documentary that sinks into your bones, leaving its weight behind long after you've left the theater, especially when you realize Pat Tillman's story is one of millions to illustrate the horror brought on by war.
“Welcome to the Rileys”
James Gandolfini and Melissa Leo star as a couple struggling to get past the death of their 15-year-old daughter. While on business in New Orleans, he meets a runaway teen working as a stripper, Kristen Stewart, and tries to help her get her life back on track.
“A Woman, A Gun and A Noodle Shop”
Twenty years after first seeing the Coen Brothers' debut feature, "Blood Simple," Chinese director Yimou Zhang couldn't get the film out of his head. So he decided to remake it, set a couple of centuries back in a small desert town in China. Were it not for some overly slapstick-y humor, it would totally work.
“Withnail and I”
A cult classic about a pair of besotted Londoners on the dole who find themselves accidentally on vacation in the countryside.
“The Long Good Friday”
Bob Hoskins and Helen Mirren star in one of the best-loved British gangster films of all time, about a mob leader whose efforts to go legit get derailed.
Showing posts with label New. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Monday, January 31, 2011
Martha Stewart in the Kitchen with New Baking Show
The oven is on, Martha Stewart is in the kitchen, and class is in session.
Stewart is adding a new show, one dedicated to teaching the basics of baking, to the growing list of programs her company produces for the Hallmark Channel, the cable network to which she moved her daily show, "The Martha Stewart Show," in the fall.
Stewart's initial ratings after the move were disappointing, but she says they have improved and that she believes viewers looking to learn — rather than simply be entertained — will appreciate the 13-episode "Martha Bakes" series.
The format of the series — Stewart in the kitchen, walking viewers step-by-step through recipes — is at odds with much of the most popular food television today, which favors competitions and other reality-based programs.
"I don't think that I was put here on Earth to sing and dance while I'm cooking," she says. "I'm a good teacher, and I think that this show shows that and really accentuates how important a good recipe is and how exacting a science baking is."
The series will cover 13 basic recipes, such as puffy pastry, cheesecake and yellow cake, as well as ways to transform them into other recipes.
Other Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia series on the channel include "Mad Hungry With Lucinda Scala Quinn" and "Whatever With Alexis & Jennifer." Stewart also will produce a new series for the channel starring Emeril Lagasse.
Stewart is adding a new show, one dedicated to teaching the basics of baking, to the growing list of programs her company produces for the Hallmark Channel, the cable network to which she moved her daily show, "The Martha Stewart Show," in the fall.
Stewart's initial ratings after the move were disappointing, but she says they have improved and that she believes viewers looking to learn — rather than simply be entertained — will appreciate the 13-episode "Martha Bakes" series.
The format of the series — Stewart in the kitchen, walking viewers step-by-step through recipes — is at odds with much of the most popular food television today, which favors competitions and other reality-based programs.
"I don't think that I was put here on Earth to sing and dance while I'm cooking," she says. "I'm a good teacher, and I think that this show shows that and really accentuates how important a good recipe is and how exacting a science baking is."
The series will cover 13 basic recipes, such as puffy pastry, cheesecake and yellow cake, as well as ways to transform them into other recipes.
Other Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia series on the channel include "Mad Hungry With Lucinda Scala Quinn" and "Whatever With Alexis & Jennifer." Stewart also will produce a new series for the channel starring Emeril Lagasse.
'Sister Wives' New Home -- A Neighborhood Divided
Kody Brown and his "Sister Wives" might need to invest in some good fences -- because a few of their new neighbors aren't happy the polygamist reality show stars have moved into their hood.
As TMZ first reported, Brown and his fam recently relocated to Las Vegas so they could explore new job opportunities. TMZ spoke with several of the new neighbors and while some sound tolerant of the Brown clan ("It's a quiet neighborhood, and as long as it stays drama free, then we're fine") others want nothing to do with them.
One neighbor told us, "I don't want my family surrounded by polygamists."
Another was upset because now her young children are asking her about polygamy -- and now she plans on moving. She told us, "I am not tolerating the polygamists or their TV show in my neighborhood."
As TMZ first reported, Brown and his fam recently relocated to Las Vegas so they could explore new job opportunities. TMZ spoke with several of the new neighbors and while some sound tolerant of the Brown clan ("It's a quiet neighborhood, and as long as it stays drama free, then we're fine") others want nothing to do with them.
One neighbor told us, "I don't want my family surrounded by polygamists."
Another was upset because now her young children are asking her about polygamy -- and now she plans on moving. She told us, "I am not tolerating the polygamists or their TV show in my neighborhood."
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Katy Perry’s New Tour Will Offer Smell-O-Vision
For Katy Perry, her upcoming tour won’t be just a musical and visual experience, but also an olfactory one too.
In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Perry talked about her California Dreams tour, which will incorporate smell-o-vision.
"It's the first concert that's going to smell good," she said. "It's going to smell like you're in cotton candy heaven. It's a fun little nuance. I am a woman of detail, and you will be seeing that — even down to the 15 outfit changes I'm doing in concert."
The worldwide tour begins Feb. 20 and runs through Nov. 2. "I just really want to raise the bar," Perry told Rolling Stone. "Touring is no longer an ordinary thing where you play an instrument in jeans and a T-shirt. It has some pizazz these days, and I'm definitely bringing the pizazz with a lot of bells and whistles. “
Perry is currently nominated for several Grammys, including Album of the Year for "Teenage Dream"; she will also perform at the awards show.
In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Perry talked about her California Dreams tour, which will incorporate smell-o-vision.
"It's the first concert that's going to smell good," she said. "It's going to smell like you're in cotton candy heaven. It's a fun little nuance. I am a woman of detail, and you will be seeing that — even down to the 15 outfit changes I'm doing in concert."
The worldwide tour begins Feb. 20 and runs through Nov. 2. "I just really want to raise the bar," Perry told Rolling Stone. "Touring is no longer an ordinary thing where you play an instrument in jeans and a T-shirt. It has some pizazz these days, and I'm definitely bringing the pizazz with a lot of bells and whistles. “
Perry is currently nominated for several Grammys, including Album of the Year for "Teenage Dream"; she will also perform at the awards show.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Miley Cyrus Updates Fans from New Movie Set
Miley Cyrus may have hung up her 'Hannah Montana' wig for the last time, but there's no stopping her budding movie career, according to OK! Magazine.
She took to YouTube this week to give an update from the New Orleans set of her new movie, 'So Undercover,' giving fans a glimpse into her life on set and her rock and roll number with co-star Jeremy Piven.
"I can't believe how quick it's gone," she said of her time on the set of the sorority-centered flick. "We had a really good time. We actually just had a wrap party because the girls are leaving 'cause now it's getting into the relationship of me and my dad. So all the sorority scenes are coming to an end, so all my girls are leaving me." See the video after the jump!
"We've been working so hard," she continued. "Literally, I'm in every scene except one or two, so we've been here working really long hours."
During the wrap party, Cyrus let loose -- responsibly -- with her co-stars and enjoyed a live band, who let the singer take the stage with the 'Entourage' star.
"They let me and Jeremy Piven ... [he's] in this movie, and so he got up on the drums and we played 'I Love Rock 'n' Roll.'"
"I've had an awesome time shooting this movie," she said as she wrapped up her short video. "I'm excited for you guys to see it, really digging it."
The film also co-stars Kelly Osbourne, who recently tweeted in defense of her new friend.
"Just read in the rags that apparently my mum thinks Miley is a bad influence on me it could not be [farther] from the truth," she wrote. "...This really makes me mad. Miley is one of the most hard working respectful women I have ever worked with I am learning a lot from her!"
According to IMDB, Cyrus' character, Molly, is an FBI agent who is hired to go undercover as a college sorority girl.
She took to YouTube this week to give an update from the New Orleans set of her new movie, 'So Undercover,' giving fans a glimpse into her life on set and her rock and roll number with co-star Jeremy Piven.
"I can't believe how quick it's gone," she said of her time on the set of the sorority-centered flick. "We had a really good time. We actually just had a wrap party because the girls are leaving 'cause now it's getting into the relationship of me and my dad. So all the sorority scenes are coming to an end, so all my girls are leaving me." See the video after the jump!
"We've been working so hard," she continued. "Literally, I'm in every scene except one or two, so we've been here working really long hours."
During the wrap party, Cyrus let loose -- responsibly -- with her co-stars and enjoyed a live band, who let the singer take the stage with the 'Entourage' star.
"They let me and Jeremy Piven ... [he's] in this movie, and so he got up on the drums and we played 'I Love Rock 'n' Roll.'"
"I've had an awesome time shooting this movie," she said as she wrapped up her short video. "I'm excited for you guys to see it, really digging it."
The film also co-stars Kelly Osbourne, who recently tweeted in defense of her new friend.
"Just read in the rags that apparently my mum thinks Miley is a bad influence on me it could not be [farther] from the truth," she wrote. "...This really makes me mad. Miley is one of the most hard working respectful women I have ever worked with I am learning a lot from her!"
According to IMDB, Cyrus' character, Molly, is an FBI agent who is hired to go undercover as a college sorority girl.
Britney Spears’ New Album Coming Out in March
The Ides of March are smiling on Britney Spears.
Billboard.com reported that the singer’s upcoming untitled album will drop on Mar. 15, based on a leaked sales sheet. Spears’ label, Jive Records, confirmed that the information on the sales sheet is correct to MTV News.
The sales sheet described the success of Spears’ new single "Hold It Against Me," which charted on Billboard at #1: “First week sales of well over 400k show the huge demand for her music, and all things Britney. In fact,” Hold It Against Me” enjoyed the biggest first week track sales for a female artist EVER, eclipsing the previous record holder Taylor Swift.
The new album, according to the sales sheet, will also feature the production work of Max Martin, Dr. Luke, Rodney Jerkins, Stargate, Fraser T. Smith, and Bloodshy & Avant.
The new album will be the follow-up to 2008’s Circus. “As is always the way with a new Britney release, look for a major TV event to launch the album, and of course the usual non=stop press coverage on all Things Britney…make no mistake that fans are ready and waiting for more Britney! She never disappoints and NOBODY comes close”
Spears’s manager, Adam Leber, recently went on Twitter to reveal that the singer did a photoshoot in anticipation of the new album. He wrote: “did a photoshoot for her album package yesterday. Photos are nothing less than spectacular. We'll share some soon....”
Billboard.com reported that the singer’s upcoming untitled album will drop on Mar. 15, based on a leaked sales sheet. Spears’ label, Jive Records, confirmed that the information on the sales sheet is correct to MTV News.
The sales sheet described the success of Spears’ new single "Hold It Against Me," which charted on Billboard at #1: “First week sales of well over 400k show the huge demand for her music, and all things Britney. In fact,” Hold It Against Me” enjoyed the biggest first week track sales for a female artist EVER, eclipsing the previous record holder Taylor Swift.
The new album, according to the sales sheet, will also feature the production work of Max Martin, Dr. Luke, Rodney Jerkins, Stargate, Fraser T. Smith, and Bloodshy & Avant.
The new album will be the follow-up to 2008’s Circus. “As is always the way with a new Britney release, look for a major TV event to launch the album, and of course the usual non=stop press coverage on all Things Britney…make no mistake that fans are ready and waiting for more Britney! She never disappoints and NOBODY comes close”
Spears’s manager, Adam Leber, recently went on Twitter to reveal that the singer did a photoshoot in anticipation of the new album. He wrote: “did a photoshoot for her album package yesterday. Photos are nothing less than spectacular. We'll share some soon....”
Charlie's Other Porn Star: New Girls Are Idiots
Capri Anderson, the porn star from Charlie Sheen's other bender back in October, thinks the girls who went to party at Charlie's place this week are "out of their minds" for going to his house after what happened to her.
Capri tells TMZ she was "completely shocked" when she heard what happened -- not so much about Charlie going off the wagon -- but the fact that girls actually hung out at his place.
Capri believes the women are "idiots" and wonders, "Why would they take this kind of chance to hang out with Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?"
She also thinks Charlie is a "horrible father figure" --and she feels bad for his kids ... because she grew up in a situation similar to the one Sheen's twins are having to endure.
Capri tells TMZ she was "completely shocked" when she heard what happened -- not so much about Charlie going off the wagon -- but the fact that girls actually hung out at his place.
Capri believes the women are "idiots" and wonders, "Why would they take this kind of chance to hang out with Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?"
She also thinks Charlie is a "horrible father figure" --and she feels bad for his kids ... because she grew up in a situation similar to the one Sheen's twins are having to endure.
Arsenal Transfer Update: There Could Be a New Center Back, but It'd Be a Shock
The January Transfer window will be closed in just a matter of days. That leaves Arsenal very little time to make what is a very necessary center back signing. Earlier this month Arsene Wenger said that the best option would be to loan a center back short term rather than buy one. This would prove to a good arrangement, as if Arsenal bought another center back they would “too many”. But why hasn’t Wenger acted on this.
At the beginning of January Arsene Wenger told the Official Arsenal website that he would only buy a center back if injured center back Thomas Vermaelen suffered a setback in his rehabilitation and was not able to come back before the end of the month. And guess what happened next. Vermaelen had a setback.
What’s more? Summer signing Sebastein Squillaci suffered a hamstring injury, leaving us with only two fit center backs. Wenger then made another statement saying he was looking for a center back to sign, but had made no progress in finding one.
Earlier this week Arsene told the Official Arsenal website that he would try to get a center back on loan to serve as cover for our two, soon to be three, fit center backs.
Now, it seems, Wenger has no intention of center backs at all, on loan or otherwise. Arsene Wenger says he would be "surprised" if Arsenal made a new signing before the transfer window closes. How would that surprise him? Isn’t that largely up to him? He said he would get someone, didn’t he?
Now Wenger says that he is confident that Arsenal will cope if they do not make a new signing before the transfer window closes.
Wenger has been seriously on the look-out for defensive reinforcements since Sebastien Squillaci joined Thomas Vermaelen on the injury list after the FA Cup tie against Leeds on January 8.
However the French defender has now overcome his hamstring problem and could return for Sunday's FA Cup tie against Huddersfield. The transfer deadline passes the day after but Wenger says he cannot foresee any activity before then.
“I would not see it as a missed opportunity,” said Wenger.
“Vermaelen looks to be making good progress, Squillaci is back available, so that was the only position we were short, at centre-backs. If I don't make any signings it is because I have not identified a special player who could strengthen our squad at the moment.”
"Transfer-wise there is no news and I would be surprised if there is any," he said.
At the beginning of January Arsene Wenger told the Official Arsenal website that he would only buy a center back if injured center back Thomas Vermaelen suffered a setback in his rehabilitation and was not able to come back before the end of the month. And guess what happened next. Vermaelen had a setback.
What’s more? Summer signing Sebastein Squillaci suffered a hamstring injury, leaving us with only two fit center backs. Wenger then made another statement saying he was looking for a center back to sign, but had made no progress in finding one.
Earlier this week Arsene told the Official Arsenal website that he would try to get a center back on loan to serve as cover for our two, soon to be three, fit center backs.
Now, it seems, Wenger has no intention of center backs at all, on loan or otherwise. Arsene Wenger says he would be "surprised" if Arsenal made a new signing before the transfer window closes. How would that surprise him? Isn’t that largely up to him? He said he would get someone, didn’t he?
Now Wenger says that he is confident that Arsenal will cope if they do not make a new signing before the transfer window closes.
Wenger has been seriously on the look-out for defensive reinforcements since Sebastien Squillaci joined Thomas Vermaelen on the injury list after the FA Cup tie against Leeds on January 8.
However the French defender has now overcome his hamstring problem and could return for Sunday's FA Cup tie against Huddersfield. The transfer deadline passes the day after but Wenger says he cannot foresee any activity before then.
“I would not see it as a missed opportunity,” said Wenger.
“Vermaelen looks to be making good progress, Squillaci is back available, so that was the only position we were short, at centre-backs. If I don't make any signings it is because I have not identified a special player who could strengthen our squad at the moment.”
"Transfer-wise there is no news and I would be surprised if there is any," he said.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Can Chelsea Handler Tame New Beau Andre Balazs?
Although comedian and E! late night talk host Chelsea Handler has a penchant for older men, her rumored new beau, hotelier Andre Balazs, may need to step up his game to keep her interest.
As the owner of hotels like The Standard, Chateau Marmont and the Mercer, Balazs has a history of dating high-profile women, from Uma Thurman to Courtney Love. But none of these relationships lasted.
"Andre likes to be seen on the arm of beautiful young stars," a source close to Balazs tells PopEater. "But he is very successful with his hotels and wine business and likes his independence. With a woman who has a mind of her own like Chelsea Handler, there could be some friction if the dalliance goes long term."
Handler was seen making out and canoodling with Balazs several times during last weekend's events at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.
Handler's dating life has been checkered. She spent several years with Ted Harbert, 55, president of Comcast Entertainment Group, which overseas E! and other networks. Then she had short flings with Animal Planet star Dave Salmoni and rapper 50 Cent.
Although the pair haven't officially confirmed their relationship status, friends close to the couple know it will take a lot for them to both settle down.
"He will have his hands full with Chelsea," says the source. "She is beautiful, smart and as independent as Andre. He will have to think out of the box to hold her interest if he sees it working."
As the owner of hotels like The Standard, Chateau Marmont and the Mercer, Balazs has a history of dating high-profile women, from Uma Thurman to Courtney Love. But none of these relationships lasted.
"Andre likes to be seen on the arm of beautiful young stars," a source close to Balazs tells PopEater. "But he is very successful with his hotels and wine business and likes his independence. With a woman who has a mind of her own like Chelsea Handler, there could be some friction if the dalliance goes long term."
Handler was seen making out and canoodling with Balazs several times during last weekend's events at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.
Handler's dating life has been checkered. She spent several years with Ted Harbert, 55, president of Comcast Entertainment Group, which overseas E! and other networks. Then she had short flings with Animal Planet star Dave Salmoni and rapper 50 Cent.
Although the pair haven't officially confirmed their relationship status, friends close to the couple know it will take a lot for them to both settle down.
"He will have his hands full with Chelsea," says the source. "She is beautiful, smart and as independent as Andre. He will have to think out of the box to hold her interest if he sees it working."
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Oprah's New Half-Sister Turned Down Tabloid Cash
Oprah Winfrey stunned viewers on Monday with news that she recently discovered a half-sister she never knew about, but that's only part of the amazing story. Now it turns out that the talk-show queen's sibling, Patricia, cared so much about her sister's privacy and reputation that she turned down a blockbuster offer from a tabloid magazine to expose the truth.
"All Patricia wanted was the truth," an insider tells me. "She wasn't interested in selling her story even for a million dollars. She just wanted to know who she was, where she came from and if she had any brothers or sisters. She had no idea when she started this search she would end up being Oprah Winfrey's half-sister."
Oprah Winfrey promised to reveal a huge family secret on her show, and she didn't disappoint. The queen of all media introduced Patricia in an emotional and jaw-dropping hour of television. Patricia and Oprah share a mother, Vernita Lee, who had kept her pregnancy with her third daughter a secret all these years after giving up Patricia for adoption when Oprah was only 9 years old.
Confusingly, Oprah's other half-sister, who died in 2003, was also named Patricia, but her mom said she did not name the daughter she gave away.
Resourceful Patricia started the process of finding out her family history after seeing her then-unknown mother in a TV interview detailing facts that Patricia knew matched her birth mother. A DNA test finally confirmed Patricia was in fact Oprah's half-sister. This was in 2007. Since then, Patricia tried and tried to contact Oprah, but being the highly private person she is, this proved difficult until November of last year. They met, fittingly, on Thanksgiving Day.
"No one knows what the future holds for the family. Patricia doesn't want a dime from Oprah and certainly wasn't going to take money from a tabloid whose offers are now pouring in," an insider tells me.
And what really would an interview with Oprah's half-sister be worth? "The starting point would be 1 million," one influential tabloid editor tells me.
Patricia, you did the right thing. Who needs a million when you have the golden goose?
"All Patricia wanted was the truth," an insider tells me. "She wasn't interested in selling her story even for a million dollars. She just wanted to know who she was, where she came from and if she had any brothers or sisters. She had no idea when she started this search she would end up being Oprah Winfrey's half-sister."
Oprah Winfrey promised to reveal a huge family secret on her show, and she didn't disappoint. The queen of all media introduced Patricia in an emotional and jaw-dropping hour of television. Patricia and Oprah share a mother, Vernita Lee, who had kept her pregnancy with her third daughter a secret all these years after giving up Patricia for adoption when Oprah was only 9 years old.
Confusingly, Oprah's other half-sister, who died in 2003, was also named Patricia, but her mom said she did not name the daughter she gave away.
Resourceful Patricia started the process of finding out her family history after seeing her then-unknown mother in a TV interview detailing facts that Patricia knew matched her birth mother. A DNA test finally confirmed Patricia was in fact Oprah's half-sister. This was in 2007. Since then, Patricia tried and tried to contact Oprah, but being the highly private person she is, this proved difficult until November of last year. They met, fittingly, on Thanksgiving Day.
"No one knows what the future holds for the family. Patricia doesn't want a dime from Oprah and certainly wasn't going to take money from a tabloid whose offers are now pouring in," an insider tells me.
And what really would an interview with Oprah's half-sister be worth? "The starting point would be 1 million," one influential tabloid editor tells me.
Patricia, you did the right thing. Who needs a million when you have the golden goose?
Snooki's New Show -- MAJOR Toilet Paper Crisis
Snooki is about to face off with some of the GREATEST challenges of her life -- mortgages, career decisions ... and toilet paper clean-up ... so says the outline for hew new reality show obtained by TMZ.
We got our grubby little mitts on the rundown for the upcoming Snooki and Jwoww spinoff show -- and according to the docs, there's gonna be a whole lotta boozing and she-pimpin'.
The storyline -- Snooks is finally moving out of her parents' house and into a place with Jwoww -- but, (surprise!!!) she's totally unprepared to deal with actual real-life problems.
For example ... the two have their sights set on a $1.5 million pad, but they don't know what a mortgage is ... or how to write a check ... and they keep getting distracted by the "hot" mortgage broker.
But conflict erupts -- so says the docs -- because during their cohabitation, Snooki ... gasp ... "made a mess of the bathroom and didn't change the toilet paper." She also "ate a ton of Jwoww's food" ... and anyone who's ever had a roommate knows that crap don't fly.
So what will happen??? We're guessing a ton of cussing and drunken debauchery ... can't wait!!!
We got our grubby little mitts on the rundown for the upcoming Snooki and Jwoww spinoff show -- and according to the docs, there's gonna be a whole lotta boozing and she-pimpin'.
The storyline -- Snooks is finally moving out of her parents' house and into a place with Jwoww -- but, (surprise!!!) she's totally unprepared to deal with actual real-life problems.
For example ... the two have their sights set on a $1.5 million pad, but they don't know what a mortgage is ... or how to write a check ... and they keep getting distracted by the "hot" mortgage broker.
But conflict erupts -- so says the docs -- because during their cohabitation, Snooki ... gasp ... "made a mess of the bathroom and didn't change the toilet paper." She also "ate a ton of Jwoww's food" ... and anyone who's ever had a roommate knows that crap don't fly.
So what will happen??? We're guessing a ton of cussing and drunken debauchery ... can't wait!!!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Lil Wayne to Kick Off New Tour in March
Now that he's out of jail, Lil Wayne is ready to show his fans just how much he missed them while he was away.
The chart-topping rap star has just announced a Spring tour and he's going to be bringing a host of big-name guest stars out on the road with him, reports the New York Daily News.
The "6 Foot 7 Foot" rapper will begin a 25-city tour on March 18 in Buffalo, N.Y., and will travel to Atlanta, Miami, New Orleans and Washington, D.C., among other stops.
He'll be taking to the stage with Nicki Minaj, Rick Ross, Travis Barker and Mixmaster Mike.
Weezy will perform tunes from his most recent release, "I Am Not a Human Being," which hit the streets while he was still in jail last year for gun charges. He's also expected to debut new tunes from his forthcoming alubm, "Tha Carter IV."
The chart-topping rap star has just announced a Spring tour and he's going to be bringing a host of big-name guest stars out on the road with him, reports the New York Daily News.
The "6 Foot 7 Foot" rapper will begin a 25-city tour on March 18 in Buffalo, N.Y., and will travel to Atlanta, Miami, New Orleans and Washington, D.C., among other stops.
He'll be taking to the stage with Nicki Minaj, Rick Ross, Travis Barker and Mixmaster Mike.
Weezy will perform tunes from his most recent release, "I Am Not a Human Being," which hit the streets while he was still in jail last year for gun charges. He's also expected to debut new tunes from his forthcoming alubm, "Tha Carter IV."
"Win Win" Premiere's at Sundance, Finds Giamatti on New Ground
In deference to the light dusting of snow on the ground, Saturday starts with a short bus ride back to Eccles, where yet another packed house awaits the premiere of Paul Giamatti’s upcoming film, “Win Win.”
“Win Win” stars Giamatti as a down on his luck lawyer who moonlights as a high school wrestling coach. In a moment of desperation, he takes advantage of an elderly client, a move than comes back to bite him in the ass when the man’s grandson, a talented wrestler, appears out of the blue.
The character is a departure for Giamatti, as this time he plays a happy, well-adjusted suburban family man. It was almost a deal breaker, according to the actor’s old friend, and “Win Win” writer director Tom McCarthy, who addressed the crowd after its world premiere.
“I've known Paul for almost 20 years now. We go way back, we met at the Yale drama school together and we've been trying to find something for yeast and this just felt like it… I called Paul, he was finishing a movie in London or something and he was flying back. I said, ‘I think I have something,’ and I sent it too him and he read it on the plane, and I went over to house for thanksgiving. And I said, ‘So, what do you think?’ And he said, ‘Wow, I really like the script, it's great.’
“Then I said, ‘I think there's one major obstacle/challenge for you…’ And he goes, ‘Yeah, the dude's happy.’ I said, ‘I know, but you can do it. You can do it - you can show the world.’ And he really did, he found a guy who was content in his life, and not condescend to these suburban characters.”
The film is a rare beast, a feel-good movie that doesn’t insult your intelligence. In Amy Ryan plays his wife, Bobby Cannavale is hilarious as his unhinged best friend, and newcomer Alex Shaffer, who gives a fantastic acting debut as wresting prodigy Kyle Timmons.
McCarthy, a character actor with three dozen films on his resume, who is quietly putting together an impressive body of work on the other side of the camera. He first came to Sundance in 2003 with “The Station Agent,” winning the Audience Award, Special Jury Prize and the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award for his story about a dwarf struggling with a break-up who retreats to an abandoned train depot to lick his wounds, only to develop friendships with two unlikely locals. He returned in 2007 with “The Visitor,” a film about a college professor who finds a couple of strangers in his apartment, which earned Richard Jenkins an Oscar nomination and his career a serious shot in the arm. Now he’s back with a film he co-wrote with his childhood friend, Joe Bitoni.
“Joe and I used to be championship wrestlers ourselves. For real--no. we were actually on the same team in high school and this is Joe’s first screenplay by the way. I just had this idea one day, I hadn't really seen anything about high school wrestling, a much-undervalued sport in this country. So I called Joe, and I said, since we've known each other since we were about 10, I sad, "Hey, you wanna develop this idea with me?" And he said, "Totally! I'm in. What do we do?"
“We just start talking a lot and see if there's a story that comes out of it. And that's really where it started, laughing about our old wrestling stories. And Joe is an elder law attorney who lives in the town where we grew up together as kids… so we were just draw on those experiences. I guess a very personal story in that way and a lot of fun to develop.”
And then it’s back outside to go back inside the huge tent where they pen the ticket holder in a line with at least 10 switchbacks, to watch still another movie.
“Win Win” stars Giamatti as a down on his luck lawyer who moonlights as a high school wrestling coach. In a moment of desperation, he takes advantage of an elderly client, a move than comes back to bite him in the ass when the man’s grandson, a talented wrestler, appears out of the blue.
The character is a departure for Giamatti, as this time he plays a happy, well-adjusted suburban family man. It was almost a deal breaker, according to the actor’s old friend, and “Win Win” writer director Tom McCarthy, who addressed the crowd after its world premiere.
“I've known Paul for almost 20 years now. We go way back, we met at the Yale drama school together and we've been trying to find something for yeast and this just felt like it… I called Paul, he was finishing a movie in London or something and he was flying back. I said, ‘I think I have something,’ and I sent it too him and he read it on the plane, and I went over to house for thanksgiving. And I said, ‘So, what do you think?’ And he said, ‘Wow, I really like the script, it's great.’
“Then I said, ‘I think there's one major obstacle/challenge for you…’ And he goes, ‘Yeah, the dude's happy.’ I said, ‘I know, but you can do it. You can do it - you can show the world.’ And he really did, he found a guy who was content in his life, and not condescend to these suburban characters.”
The film is a rare beast, a feel-good movie that doesn’t insult your intelligence. In Amy Ryan plays his wife, Bobby Cannavale is hilarious as his unhinged best friend, and newcomer Alex Shaffer, who gives a fantastic acting debut as wresting prodigy Kyle Timmons.
McCarthy, a character actor with three dozen films on his resume, who is quietly putting together an impressive body of work on the other side of the camera. He first came to Sundance in 2003 with “The Station Agent,” winning the Audience Award, Special Jury Prize and the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award for his story about a dwarf struggling with a break-up who retreats to an abandoned train depot to lick his wounds, only to develop friendships with two unlikely locals. He returned in 2007 with “The Visitor,” a film about a college professor who finds a couple of strangers in his apartment, which earned Richard Jenkins an Oscar nomination and his career a serious shot in the arm. Now he’s back with a film he co-wrote with his childhood friend, Joe Bitoni.
“Joe and I used to be championship wrestlers ourselves. For real--no. we were actually on the same team in high school and this is Joe’s first screenplay by the way. I just had this idea one day, I hadn't really seen anything about high school wrestling, a much-undervalued sport in this country. So I called Joe, and I said, since we've known each other since we were about 10, I sad, "Hey, you wanna develop this idea with me?" And he said, "Totally! I'm in. What do we do?"
“We just start talking a lot and see if there's a story that comes out of it. And that's really where it started, laughing about our old wrestling stories. And Joe is an elder law attorney who lives in the town where we grew up together as kids… so we were just draw on those experiences. I guess a very personal story in that way and a lot of fun to develop.”
And then it’s back outside to go back inside the huge tent where they pen the ticket holder in a line with at least 10 switchbacks, to watch still another movie.
Kelly Osbourne Is the New Face of Madonna's Fashion Line
Kelly Osbourne's has been named the new face of Madonna's Material Girl fashion line.
Osbourne, who once called herself an "ugly duckling," replaces 'Gossip Girl' star Taylor Momsen, according to a tweet from the company.
Material Girl is a year-old juniors design collaboration between the iconic music superstar and 14-year-old daughter Lourdes. It's sold exclusively at Macy's.
"Material Girl is thrilled to confirm that Kelly Osbourne is the new face for 2011. We will be sharing all the details on this exciting new campaign in the coming weeks," her rep confirmed in a statement.
Material Girl launched in 2010 with rebellious Momsen as its face. Late last year though, Lourdes blogged that the label was "desperately seeking" a new face.
Osbourne, who slimmed down considerably after an image-altering turn on ABC's "Dancing With the Stars," has updated her look from goth to glam.
"I've spent the last few years trying to figure out who Kelly Osbourne is, from addiction to awards and fashion faux pas," she writes on her official blog.
Things seem to be looking up for Osbourne, who earlier this month was seen with British musician Rob Damiani, after a long funk from breaking up with Luke Worrall last summer.
Osbourne, who once called herself an "ugly duckling," replaces 'Gossip Girl' star Taylor Momsen, according to a tweet from the company.
Material Girl is a year-old juniors design collaboration between the iconic music superstar and 14-year-old daughter Lourdes. It's sold exclusively at Macy's.
"Material Girl is thrilled to confirm that Kelly Osbourne is the new face for 2011. We will be sharing all the details on this exciting new campaign in the coming weeks," her rep confirmed in a statement.
Material Girl launched in 2010 with rebellious Momsen as its face. Late last year though, Lourdes blogged that the label was "desperately seeking" a new face.
Osbourne, who slimmed down considerably after an image-altering turn on ABC's "Dancing With the Stars," has updated her look from goth to glam.
"I've spent the last few years trying to figure out who Kelly Osbourne is, from addiction to awards and fashion faux pas," she writes on her official blog.
Things seem to be looking up for Osbourne, who earlier this month was seen with British musician Rob Damiani, after a long funk from breaking up with Luke Worrall last summer.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Bristol Palin Confirms She Has a New Boyfriend
Levi who?
Bristol Palin confirmed during a radio interview Friday she has a new man in her life.
Speaking by phone on the Anchorage-based “Bob & Mark” show, the “Dancing with the Stars” alum was gently goaded into addressing reports she’s dating an Alaska pipeline worker, People mag reported.
"Are you guys getting personal with me, really?" Palin asked.
After Palin, 20, at first pledged to “plead the fifth,” the radio hosts proposed she respond this way: “Yeah, you know what, I'm seeing a guy and he's really great and [son] Tripp loves him and we're having a really good time and we're really good friends."
"Yeah, we can go with that,” Palin replied.
She went on to say that she and toddler Tripp were “happy,” especially about the new Maricopa, Ariz. home she reportedly bought with a $172,000 check.
“It made 'Dancing with the Stars' worth it, for sure," she said.
During the interview, Sarah Palin’s daughter also revealed she was considering an offer to co-host a radio show in Phoenix and denied rumors she'd changed her son's last name to Palin.
Not that she doesn't hope to do so one day. Palin said she's asked her ex, Levi Johnston, many times to “sign over” his parental rights in exchange for not having to pay child-support.
The off-and-on pair last split in August and has an agreement that reportedly gives her primary custody of Tripp, though both parents share joint legal custody.
Palin said the last time she broached the surname switcheroo was two years ago.
"'He's always going to be your son, you can see him whenever you want to,' but he just doesn't want to sign him over because it looks bad on paper," she said of Johnston.
Bristol Palin confirmed during a radio interview Friday she has a new man in her life.
Speaking by phone on the Anchorage-based “Bob & Mark” show, the “Dancing with the Stars” alum was gently goaded into addressing reports she’s dating an Alaska pipeline worker, People mag reported.
"Are you guys getting personal with me, really?" Palin asked.
After Palin, 20, at first pledged to “plead the fifth,” the radio hosts proposed she respond this way: “Yeah, you know what, I'm seeing a guy and he's really great and [son] Tripp loves him and we're having a really good time and we're really good friends."
"Yeah, we can go with that,” Palin replied.
She went on to say that she and toddler Tripp were “happy,” especially about the new Maricopa, Ariz. home she reportedly bought with a $172,000 check.
“It made 'Dancing with the Stars' worth it, for sure," she said.
During the interview, Sarah Palin’s daughter also revealed she was considering an offer to co-host a radio show in Phoenix and denied rumors she'd changed her son's last name to Palin.
Not that she doesn't hope to do so one day. Palin said she's asked her ex, Levi Johnston, many times to “sign over” his parental rights in exchange for not having to pay child-support.
The off-and-on pair last split in August and has an agreement that reportedly gives her primary custody of Tripp, though both parents share joint legal custody.
Palin said the last time she broached the surname switcheroo was two years ago.
"'He's always going to be your son, you can see him whenever you want to,' but he just doesn't want to sign him over because it looks bad on paper," she said of Johnston.
Billy Butler, Royals Agree to New Deal
The Kansas City Royals and first baseman Billy Butler agreed to a $30 million, four-year contract Saturday, avoiding arbitration.
Butler was the Royals' player of the year the past two seasons and was the team's only remaining arbitration-eligible player. The agreement includes a club option for the 2015 season.
"There aren't a lot of high-quality right-handed bats out there and when you have one you want to hold on to him," general manager Dayton Moore told The Associated Press in a phone interview. "The fact that he's only 24 is something else that's very exciting for us. We feel that Billy's got a lot of good baseball in him."
Butler gets a $2 million signing bonus, a $3 million salary this year and $8 million in each of the following three seasons. Kansas City has a $12.5 million option for 2015 with a $1 million buyout, and escalators could increase the 2015 option price to $14.5 million.
Butler set career highs with a .318 average, 189 hits, 69 walks and a .388 on-base percentage last year. In four major league seasons, he has a .299 average with 55 homers and 278 RBIs.
Butler told MLB.com he was pleased he wouldn't have to worry about an arbitration hearing.
"It worked out for both sides," Butler said. "I've always been happy to be a Royal. We have a lot of young guys coming up, and we plan on doing great things. It just means I'm a big part of it."
Butler also had 15 homers and 78 RBIs in 2010.
Butler was the Royals' player of the year the past two seasons and was the team's only remaining arbitration-eligible player. The agreement includes a club option for the 2015 season.
"There aren't a lot of high-quality right-handed bats out there and when you have one you want to hold on to him," general manager Dayton Moore told The Associated Press in a phone interview. "The fact that he's only 24 is something else that's very exciting for us. We feel that Billy's got a lot of good baseball in him."
Butler gets a $2 million signing bonus, a $3 million salary this year and $8 million in each of the following three seasons. Kansas City has a $12.5 million option for 2015 with a $1 million buyout, and escalators could increase the 2015 option price to $14.5 million.
Butler set career highs with a .318 average, 189 hits, 69 walks and a .388 on-base percentage last year. In four major league seasons, he has a .299 average with 55 homers and 278 RBIs.
Butler told MLB.com he was pleased he wouldn't have to worry about an arbitration hearing.
"It worked out for both sides," Butler said. "I've always been happy to be a Royal. We have a lot of young guys coming up, and we plan on doing great things. It just means I'm a big part of it."
Butler also had 15 homers and 78 RBIs in 2010.
Steelers Vets Show Super Bowl Ropes to New Players
The Pittsburgh Steelers are back in the Super Bowl again - thanks to a few new faces.
Veteran receiver Hines Ward will be there the next couple weeks to ensure things go smoothly after a 24-19 win Sunday night over the New York Jets to claim the AFC title put the Steelers in the Super Bowl on Feb. 6 in Dallas against the Green Bay Packers.
"A lot of our key guys who have been making plays throughout the whole year have never been to the Super Bowl," said Ward, a 13-year veteran. "I am pretty sure that the guys will have lot of anxiety.
It sure didn't look as if running back Rashard Mendenhall and rookie receiver Antonio Brown had butterflies on the chilly turf at Heinz Field.
It is Mendenhall's third season, but his first trip to the Super Bowl after missing the Steelers' 2009 win over the Arizona Cardinals due to an injured shoulder. He ran for 121 yards on 27 carries and a touchdown against the Jets, with 95 yards in a dominating first half.
"It means a lot to be here and to be going to Dallas with these men, especially not having the opportunity the first time," Mendenhall said. "It means so much for this city, and to be a part of it is just an awesome feeling."
Brown had just one catch - but it was huge. The 14-yard completion from a scrambling Ben Roethlisberger on third-and-6 finally turned aside the surging Jets with less than two minutes left after New York nearly overcame a 21-point halftime deficit.
Roethlisberger was vintage, scrambling out of the pocket, rolling right and eluding two more defenders before finding Brown.
"It was a really, really tight window in order to get it to Hines. My thought was let's try and run it. I started running to the sideline and next thing you know, A.B. comes flying across the field. He beat them with speed," Roethlisberger said.
Just like in the playoff win vs. the Ravens, when his creative 58-yard reception on 3rd and 19 set up Pittsburgh's winning touchdown.
Throw in second-year man Mike Wallace and rookie Emmanuel Sanders and the Steelers have a veritable youth movement going at receiver.
To Big Ben, it just doesn't matter who's catching the passes.
"I have the same amount of confidence in all of them" Roethlisberger said. "It speaks volumes for the way that they work."
He finished 10 of 19 passing for 133 yards and two interceptions, though his mobility did give the Jets trouble much of the night. He had 11 carries for 21 yards and a 2-yard scramble into the end zone to give the Steelers a 17-0 lead midway through the second quarter.
But things got dicey for Pittsburgh after halftime. The Jets defense pitched a second-half shutout on what had been a dominating Steelers offense.
Pittsburgh controlled the line of scrimmage in the first half, even after rookie center Maurkice Pouncey left with a sprained left ankle.
Pouncey was on crutches after the game with his left ankle wrapped. He was replaced by Doug Legursky.
"I am sure we will have more information that will be debated here in the next couple of weeks. But it's a great debate to have, isn't it?" coach Mike Tomlin said.
New York stiffened against the run after halftime. Roethlisberger was tackled for a safety after a bad snap exchange at the 1 with 7:38 left.
"We shot ourselves in the foot with mental errors. We jumped out on them so early ... some of the guys may have lowered some of their energy a little bit," receiver Ward said.
On the next drive, Jerricho Cotchery's 4-yard TD catch cut the lead to five, and the Jets kicked the ball back to the Steelers hoping for a big defensive stand.
It wasn't to be, not with Roethlisberger at the controls. He connected with Miller for a first down on a 14-yard completion on second-and-9.
The Steelers gained just four yards on the next two plays, both runs. Then, Roethlisberger's last pass turned out to be the most important of the night, to the rookie Brown.
"We weren't going to play not to lose," Tomlin said about throwing on the final drive.
Veteran receiver Hines Ward will be there the next couple weeks to ensure things go smoothly after a 24-19 win Sunday night over the New York Jets to claim the AFC title put the Steelers in the Super Bowl on Feb. 6 in Dallas against the Green Bay Packers.
"A lot of our key guys who have been making plays throughout the whole year have never been to the Super Bowl," said Ward, a 13-year veteran. "I am pretty sure that the guys will have lot of anxiety.
It sure didn't look as if running back Rashard Mendenhall and rookie receiver Antonio Brown had butterflies on the chilly turf at Heinz Field.
It is Mendenhall's third season, but his first trip to the Super Bowl after missing the Steelers' 2009 win over the Arizona Cardinals due to an injured shoulder. He ran for 121 yards on 27 carries and a touchdown against the Jets, with 95 yards in a dominating first half.
"It means a lot to be here and to be going to Dallas with these men, especially not having the opportunity the first time," Mendenhall said. "It means so much for this city, and to be a part of it is just an awesome feeling."
Brown had just one catch - but it was huge. The 14-yard completion from a scrambling Ben Roethlisberger on third-and-6 finally turned aside the surging Jets with less than two minutes left after New York nearly overcame a 21-point halftime deficit.
Roethlisberger was vintage, scrambling out of the pocket, rolling right and eluding two more defenders before finding Brown.
"It was a really, really tight window in order to get it to Hines. My thought was let's try and run it. I started running to the sideline and next thing you know, A.B. comes flying across the field. He beat them with speed," Roethlisberger said.
Just like in the playoff win vs. the Ravens, when his creative 58-yard reception on 3rd and 19 set up Pittsburgh's winning touchdown.
Throw in second-year man Mike Wallace and rookie Emmanuel Sanders and the Steelers have a veritable youth movement going at receiver.
To Big Ben, it just doesn't matter who's catching the passes.
"I have the same amount of confidence in all of them" Roethlisberger said. "It speaks volumes for the way that they work."
He finished 10 of 19 passing for 133 yards and two interceptions, though his mobility did give the Jets trouble much of the night. He had 11 carries for 21 yards and a 2-yard scramble into the end zone to give the Steelers a 17-0 lead midway through the second quarter.
But things got dicey for Pittsburgh after halftime. The Jets defense pitched a second-half shutout on what had been a dominating Steelers offense.
Pittsburgh controlled the line of scrimmage in the first half, even after rookie center Maurkice Pouncey left with a sprained left ankle.
Pouncey was on crutches after the game with his left ankle wrapped. He was replaced by Doug Legursky.
"I am sure we will have more information that will be debated here in the next couple of weeks. But it's a great debate to have, isn't it?" coach Mike Tomlin said.
New York stiffened against the run after halftime. Roethlisberger was tackled for a safety after a bad snap exchange at the 1 with 7:38 left.
"We shot ourselves in the foot with mental errors. We jumped out on them so early ... some of the guys may have lowered some of their energy a little bit," receiver Ward said.
On the next drive, Jerricho Cotchery's 4-yard TD catch cut the lead to five, and the Jets kicked the ball back to the Steelers hoping for a big defensive stand.
It wasn't to be, not with Roethlisberger at the controls. He connected with Miller for a first down on a 14-yard completion on second-and-9.
The Steelers gained just four yards on the next two plays, both runs. Then, Roethlisberger's last pass turned out to be the most important of the night, to the rookie Brown.
"We weren't going to play not to lose," Tomlin said about throwing on the final drive.
Slash Talks About his New Horror-Movie Label, Slasher Films
When you think of Sundance, your mind doesn’t necessarily go straight to heavy metal guitarists with big hair and mirrored sunglasses. But former Guns N’ Roses guitar god Slash (who has actually been to Sundance many times as a movie buff, thank you very much) showed up at the festival on Sunday to announce the launch of his new horror-movie production company, Slasher Films, in which he’s partnering with Scout Productions. Turns out Slash — who’s currently on tour with Ozzy Osbourne — isn’t just into striking fear in the heart of teenage headbangers’ parents. He wants to scare everyone who goes to the movies, too.
EW: Where did the idea come from to get into producing horror movies?
Slash: It sort of fell in my lap. Rob Eric from Scout Productions is a friend of my wife, and one night we stayed up all night talking about horror movies. I’ve been a fan of horror films my whole life, and I have a pretty broad knowledge about them. Rob said, “You should start a production company and get behind making horror films. You could call it Slasher Films — it’s perfect!” I was like, “Far out!” So we said, let’s do it.
EW: Is there a hole in the current horror-movie landscape you’re looking to fill?
Slash: The big thing for me is, I was raised on really great horror movies. But sophisticated, dramatic horror movies died out in the late ’80s, and now I’ve sort of lost interest in going out and seeing horror movies because they’re usually gore movies and they’re not very creative. It’s all about the sensationalism and shock value. What I want to do is bring back character-driven, dramatic, intelligent, humorous horror movies — horror movies that have some depth.
EW: What kinds of movies are you developing?
Slash: We have four really great scripts we’re going to go into production with one right after another. The first one has the tentative title Nothing to Fear, which is going into production this year. It’s a really well-written demon story. It’s basically about a God-fearing Christian family who gets relocated to a small town in Kansas called Stull, which unbenownst to them happens to be one of the seven gateways to hell, and they’ve been lured there for an annual sacrifice [the townfolk] do for the demon that appears every year to satiate his bloodlust — otherwise he goes on a rampage. The ironic thing is that Stull is a real town that has this Internet folklore: It actually is supposed to be one of the gateways to hell, and the Pope won’t fly over it. I looked it up and was blown away. There’s another script called Theorem that’s about a mathematician who figures out the equation for evil and then, of course, there’s the hell that comes along with it. Then there’s another one called Wake the Dead, which is basically a modern, young Frankenstein story about a brilliant college student who’s discovered how to animate dead tissue — but he’s a teenager so he goes overboard. The last one is The Other Kingdom, which is about a big metropolitan hospital where the patients are overcome by an epidemic that turns them into these savage killing zombie types and the staff gets stuck in there with them.
EW: Rob Zombie also went from heavy metal into making horror films. Have you talked to him?
Slash: I haven’t talked to him since I got into this, but he and I have hung out and we both obviously have an affection for horror movies. I respect Rob a lot. I was impressed that he was able to resurrect the Halloween franchise and do a good job with it. But this is all a learning process for me right now. So far it’s been meeting a lot of people in the movie business and understanding director talk and writer speak and just being around a different group of professionals than I’m used to. We’ll see. [laughs] I have nothing to lose.
EW: Where did the idea come from to get into producing horror movies?
Slash: It sort of fell in my lap. Rob Eric from Scout Productions is a friend of my wife, and one night we stayed up all night talking about horror movies. I’ve been a fan of horror films my whole life, and I have a pretty broad knowledge about them. Rob said, “You should start a production company and get behind making horror films. You could call it Slasher Films — it’s perfect!” I was like, “Far out!” So we said, let’s do it.
EW: Is there a hole in the current horror-movie landscape you’re looking to fill?
Slash: The big thing for me is, I was raised on really great horror movies. But sophisticated, dramatic horror movies died out in the late ’80s, and now I’ve sort of lost interest in going out and seeing horror movies because they’re usually gore movies and they’re not very creative. It’s all about the sensationalism and shock value. What I want to do is bring back character-driven, dramatic, intelligent, humorous horror movies — horror movies that have some depth.
EW: What kinds of movies are you developing?
Slash: We have four really great scripts we’re going to go into production with one right after another. The first one has the tentative title Nothing to Fear, which is going into production this year. It’s a really well-written demon story. It’s basically about a God-fearing Christian family who gets relocated to a small town in Kansas called Stull, which unbenownst to them happens to be one of the seven gateways to hell, and they’ve been lured there for an annual sacrifice [the townfolk] do for the demon that appears every year to satiate his bloodlust — otherwise he goes on a rampage. The ironic thing is that Stull is a real town that has this Internet folklore: It actually is supposed to be one of the gateways to hell, and the Pope won’t fly over it. I looked it up and was blown away. There’s another script called Theorem that’s about a mathematician who figures out the equation for evil and then, of course, there’s the hell that comes along with it. Then there’s another one called Wake the Dead, which is basically a modern, young Frankenstein story about a brilliant college student who’s discovered how to animate dead tissue — but he’s a teenager so he goes overboard. The last one is The Other Kingdom, which is about a big metropolitan hospital where the patients are overcome by an epidemic that turns them into these savage killing zombie types and the staff gets stuck in there with them.
EW: Rob Zombie also went from heavy metal into making horror films. Have you talked to him?
Slash: I haven’t talked to him since I got into this, but he and I have hung out and we both obviously have an affection for horror movies. I respect Rob a lot. I was impressed that he was able to resurrect the Halloween franchise and do a good job with it. But this is all a learning process for me right now. So far it’s been meeting a lot of people in the movie business and understanding director talk and writer speak and just being around a different group of professionals than I’m used to. We’ll see. [laughs] I have nothing to lose.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Reviewing the reviewers: 'Ebert Presents At The Movies,' with Roger Ebert and a New Crew of Young Critics
Roger Ebert continues to write about movies, and has relaunched the televised review show that made him a household name: The debut edition of Ebert Presents At The Movies premiered on Friday on PBS stations, and it’s an energetic pleasure with a few surprises.
The two principal critics sitting in the show’s trademark movie balcony are Christy Lemire (from The Associated Press) and Ignatiy Vishnevetsky (who writes for mubi.com). They make for an engaging duo, quick and articulate.
Lemire and Vishnevetsky reviewed current fare such as The Green Hornet and No Strings Attached. Vishnevetsky’s opinions were particularly interesting — he’s a young critic trying enthusiastically to articulate where even the slightest popcorn movie might fit into cinema history, of which he clearly knows a great deal. If it was unfortunate that he happened to give a thumbs-up to every movie the pair reviewed, and Lemire a thumbs-down, well, there’s always next week to see how the two of them can differ in different moods.
The show also has a cadre of contributors; the one showcased this week was Kim Morgan, the first-rate movie-mind and blogger who gave her audience a quick, deft, vivid primer on Carol Reed’s 1949 film The Third Man. Any time a black-and-white movie is given a fresh squint on TV, it’s cause for happiness, and Morgan adds a stylishness and acerbic edge to her evaluations that made her segment all the more involving.
Finally, there was a segment called “Roger’s Office” featuring a review by Ebert himself. Because Ebert can no longer speak after a series of operations for cancer, he has used a variety of methods to reproduce speech. This night, in reviewing the animated film My Dog Tulip, Ebert prevailed upon a guest voice: none other than director Werner Herzog, who recited Ebert’s prose with crisp clarity.
Overall, Ebert Presents At The Movies was well-done, at once welcomingly familiar and inventively fresh.
Did you watch? Will you watch? Let me know what you think.
The two principal critics sitting in the show’s trademark movie balcony are Christy Lemire (from The Associated Press) and Ignatiy Vishnevetsky (who writes for mubi.com). They make for an engaging duo, quick and articulate.
Lemire and Vishnevetsky reviewed current fare such as The Green Hornet and No Strings Attached. Vishnevetsky’s opinions were particularly interesting — he’s a young critic trying enthusiastically to articulate where even the slightest popcorn movie might fit into cinema history, of which he clearly knows a great deal. If it was unfortunate that he happened to give a thumbs-up to every movie the pair reviewed, and Lemire a thumbs-down, well, there’s always next week to see how the two of them can differ in different moods.
The show also has a cadre of contributors; the one showcased this week was Kim Morgan, the first-rate movie-mind and blogger who gave her audience a quick, deft, vivid primer on Carol Reed’s 1949 film The Third Man. Any time a black-and-white movie is given a fresh squint on TV, it’s cause for happiness, and Morgan adds a stylishness and acerbic edge to her evaluations that made her segment all the more involving.
Finally, there was a segment called “Roger’s Office” featuring a review by Ebert himself. Because Ebert can no longer speak after a series of operations for cancer, he has used a variety of methods to reproduce speech. This night, in reviewing the animated film My Dog Tulip, Ebert prevailed upon a guest voice: none other than director Werner Herzog, who recited Ebert’s prose with crisp clarity.
Overall, Ebert Presents At The Movies was well-done, at once welcomingly familiar and inventively fresh.
Did you watch? Will you watch? Let me know what you think.
Jennifer Hudson Set To Return With New Album ‘I Remember Me’
Jennifer Hudson, last seen making Oprah shed tears at the Kennedy Center Honors, will release her sophomore album in two months, says her website. I Remember Me will be out March 22, and features work by such writers and producers as Ryan Tedder, Alicia Keys, Swizz Beatz, Rich Harrison, Ne-Yo and Stargate. Also on board is R. Kelly, who co-wrote the LP’s first single “Where You At.”
“I’m excited about this album because it’s almost like a renewal for me, reflected through the chapters of my life,” Oscar and Grammy winner Jennifer says on her site. “I’ve called it I Remember Me because of the journey I’ve been on. I’ve learned that life constantly surprises you, no matter your plans. My fans have been so loyal, I feel like they have been on this journey with me and I can’t wait for them to hear the new album.”
A short clip of “Where You At” is streaming here, and those who pre-order the I Remember Me album get a free download of the single on January 24.
“You said you’d be that shoulder for my eyes to cry on, so you would be the one that I depend on,” J-Hud sings on the ballad, which prominently features a piano, thick beats and melodic backing vocals.
Are you excited for the return of J-Hud?
“I’m excited about this album because it’s almost like a renewal for me, reflected through the chapters of my life,” Oscar and Grammy winner Jennifer says on her site. “I’ve called it I Remember Me because of the journey I’ve been on. I’ve learned that life constantly surprises you, no matter your plans. My fans have been so loyal, I feel like they have been on this journey with me and I can’t wait for them to hear the new album.”
A short clip of “Where You At” is streaming here, and those who pre-order the I Remember Me album get a free download of the single on January 24.
“You said you’d be that shoulder for my eyes to cry on, so you would be the one that I depend on,” J-Hud sings on the ballad, which prominently features a piano, thick beats and melodic backing vocals.
Are you excited for the return of J-Hud?
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