|
|
| Movie Reviews | Movies at Box Office | Top DVD Movies | Top Celebrities | Paparazzi Photos & Videos | Celebrity Gossip by Derek Hail | Television News |
|
Entertaintment News |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
6 Oct 2008 at 6:15pm The John McCain-Sarah Palin ticket would love to have Saturday Night Live's poll numbers.
Last weekend's show, featuring yet another Tina Fey take on Palin, scored yet another...
6 Oct 2008 at 5:22pm Miley's dad was quoted at her party saying it was really hard to surprise her. How can you keep such a big party a secret from a star, especially when she has so many friends who could tell...
6 Oct 2008 at 4:57pm Time to cue the Rocky theme and start chasing chickens: Michael Lohan wants Perez Hilton to be his human punching bag.
Lindsay's dad was initially slated to duke it out with Kevin...
6 Oct 2008 at 4:53pm Nicole Kidman's days of thunder may be gone, but they're certainly not forgotten.
And in a way, the subject of her marriage to Tom Cruise, per the November issue of Elle, does...
6 Oct 2008 at 4:48pm R. Kelly believed he could win, and he did.
The legally blessed R&B star has been awarded nearly $3.4 million in damages from concert promoter Leonard Rowe after a court-approved...
6 Oct 2008 at 4:13pm Don't look for Lance Bass to follow in Justin Timberlake's solo footsteps.
The Dancing With the Stars contestant has no plans of ever releasing his own CD.
"I would...
6 Oct 2008 at 3:00pm E! News' very own Ryan Seacrest just spoke with Kim Kardashian, and it looks like she might (possibly) be returning to Dancing With the Stars despite her shocking elimination last...
6 Oct 2008 at 2:37pm So much for crafting a rock-star attitude. Chris Martin, he of the newly crowned Best Act in the World Today, has reverted back to his humble beginnings.
Coldplay captured the two most...
6 Oct 2008 at 2:36pm Seeing Tom Cruise assist a fallen photog in NYC this weekend naturally conjures up memories of some his other past "rescue missions," and it got us thinking.
Could it be that...
6 Oct 2008 at 2:25pm BANK HEIST: Mario Lopez, surrounded by a gaggle of gals during his late-night birthday celebration at Las Vegas nightclub the Bank, after having dinner at Fix Restaurant & Bar with an...
6 Oct 2008 at 1:57pm Even though Kendra Wilkinson was off partying in the Bahamas Saturday night?without Hef, Holly or Bridget?she did make it home in time for Sunday's fifth-season premiere of...
6 Oct 2008 at 1:56pm ? Heidi Klum's latest runway project involves some seriously scantily clad catwalkers: The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show features the likes of Klum, Alessandra Ambrosia, Selita...
6 Oct 2008 at 12:36pm What you see is what you get with Kim Kardashian. At least for now.
"I have not ever had plastic surgery," she writes in her blog, accompanied by a voluptuous photo of herself...
6 Oct 2008 at 12:35pm Forget teacher. Eddie Van Halen's hot for Janie.
The guitar god has gotten engaged to longtime girlfriend Janie Liszewski.
The 53-year-old Van Halen mastermind dropped...
6 Oct 2008 at 12:06pm Poor Mariah. This really isn't fair at all, is it?
Despite being "hampered by a gorgeous face" as Clint Eastwood put it, Angie still managed to rock the red carpet in...
6 Oct 2008 at 5:39pm ET has the latest...We sit down with "CSI" star William Petersen to get the 411 on the new season! CBS has confirmed that his character Grissom will be leaving the hit show, but not until mid-season. So for now, the investigator and his team are trying to get to the bottom of who shot Warrwick! The new season unfolds on CBS this Thursday. ![]() 6 Oct 2008 at 12:17pm Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} The most popular teenager in the world is turning 16-years-old and ET's Mark Steines is there to help her celebrate! Miley Cyrus chose none other than Disneyland in Anaheim, California to have her Sweet 16 birthday party-- Mark and Miley hopped on the Indiana Jones Adventure ride to get the party started! In addition to the 5,000 fans in attendance, see all the celebrities that came out to celebrate in the Stars in Cars parade! Miley's party, called Share the Celebration, is also serving to raise awareness for the Youth Service America organization that helps drive consciousness toward the need for youth volunteerism. ![]() 6 Oct 2008 at 6:00am Cloris Leachman doesn?t talk jive -- she dances it! ET joins the 82-year-old Oscar winner and pro-partner Corky Ballas as they rehearse the jive, the next routine they'll attempt on "Dancing with the Stars." Read on to learn why Cloris thinks she's got something to prove to the judges! "First of all, you can't hear what they [the judges] are saying that night. There's so much noise," Cloris tells ET. "You either like it or you don't like it -- thumbs up or thumbs down," she says as Corky laughs on. Cloris reveals that when she asked judges Len Goodman, Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli how to actually improve as a dancer from their critiques, the trio told her, "You're the entertainment." 5 Oct 2008 at 2:37pm ET's Mary Hart sat down with John and Cindy McCain for a wide-ranging interview in which the two share their thoughts on last week's VP presidential debate, Sarah Palin and dealing with media criticism and comedy during the campaign. John tells Mary he was very pleased with Palin's performance during the debate with Democratic VP candidate Joe Biden -- a broadcast that received the highest TV ratings in history for a VP debate. "Actually I wasn't too surprised. I'm pleasantly surprised because Sarah Palin did such a great job, I mean she was fantastic and, as you know, there had been a lot of curiosity. So I'm certainly pleased, it means that more Americans are more involved and engaged in this election, so I think it was a good thing," McCain said. 5 Oct 2008 at 9:15am Anne Hathaway, who just recently began addressing her ex boyfriend's legal troubles, dealt with the issue head-on last night by making jokes about the situation while hosting "Saturday Night Live." In her opening monologue, Hathaway joked that during the summer, "I broke up with my boyfriend... and two weeks later he was sent to prison for fraud." The star of the just released 'Rachel Getting Married' again got big laughs by adding, "I mean, we've all been there, right ladies?" ![]() 5 Oct 2008 at 8:12am Tina Fey returned once again to "Saturday Night Live" as Sarah Palin as the late-night comedy show continued its political momentum by offering a parody of last week's vice presidential debate. Fey kicked off the debate as Palin by saying how nice it was to finally get to meet her running mate Joe Biden, played by "SNL" cast member Jason Sudeikis. "May I say, up close, your hair plugs don't look nearly as bad as everyone says," Fey's Palin told Biden. ![]() 4 Oct 2008 at 3:43pm She's being re-evaluted by docs. Misty May-Treanor's reps have released a statement to ET about the Olympic gold-winner's injury that could affect her stint on "Dancing with the Stars." Misty's reps tell us she "sustained an injury on Friday and received immediate medical attention. Despite previous reports, she did not break her ankle. She is resting comfortably at home. Doctors will reevaluate her condition on Monday and determine the outcome of her participation on the show. Misty is partnered with "Dancing" pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy. ![]() 3 Oct 2008 at 6:33pm Gary Coleman loses it -- and it's all caught on tape! But before you rush to judgment, here's the back story on just what happened: It was all for a gag shot with a hidden camera for "The Tony Rock Project," airing Wednesdays on MyNetwork TV. "It's the family business," says Rock, whose brother is none other than Chris Rock, about his new show. "The Johnsons have Q-Tips, the Firestones have tires -- the Rocks have jokes." It all started out innocently with a fan asking the former "Diff'rent Strokes" star for an autograph and wanting to hang out. But unbeknownst to Gary, the fan is an actor -- and so is everyone else in the room. They prod him about his 1999 court case for hitting a female fan who was asking for an autograph, and then the fan with Gary starts to insist on pinching the star's cheeks! The tension starts to escalate, and Gary gets defensive, then into self-defense mode -- striking out at the fan with his phone receiver -- while trying to call the police. ![]() 3 Oct 2008 at 12:21pm Just in... Will they or won't they? "Saturday Night Live" has been on a high with Tina Fey's killer Sarah Palin impersonations, now word comes that Queen Latifah may be part of the next skit -- if there is one. Although they won't confirm, an SNL rep tells ET that "if" they do a debate sketch this weekend, they say the Queen will be there. Fey's appearance has not been confirmed -- leaving the status of the possible debate sketch up in the air. Looks like fans will have to tune in to see if she reprises her most headline-grabbing impression to date! 3 Oct 2008 at 1:30am Elizabeth Reaser is a busy actress: The former "Grey's Anatomy" star has an all-new romantic comedy, "The Ex List," premiering Friday night on CBS, and this November she's in one of the most anticipated movies of the year -- 'Twilight'! Tonight, Elizabeth's on the new ET set to talk love and vampires with our own Mark Steines. "I had no idea the extent of this fan base and how excited they are," Elizabeth tells Mark of the book-turned-movie. "My dad is a substitute teacher in a high school in Michigan and he's with kids all the time, and he says, 'It's really big time.' According to him, he has a lot more clout in school now, so that says a lot." In the movie, Elizabeth plays Esme Cullen, a member of the Cullen clan who is a vegetarian vampire, or what Elizabeth calls, "a conscientious vampire." ![]() 2 Oct 2008 at 11:00pm Thursday night's episode of CBS' reality hit, "Survivor Gabon: Earth's Last Eden," opened with the dejected Fang tribe quarreling amongst themselves -- and ended with a surprised Kota tribe sending home one of their own. At the show's outset, Fang's Randy pointed out that the tribe?s rice supply was dwindling, and maybe they should cut back to two meals per day, but G.C. didn?t like that idea. Randy told the camera, ?The cancer in the tribe is G.C. ? Our tribe is going to continue to have problems until that cancer is excised.? But despite the tribe?s losing streak and internal arguments, in the first challenge -- a reward challenge -- the team strong-armed their way to their first victory, winning blankets, a hammock, pillows and a mat. ![]() 2 Oct 2008 at 10:37am ET's own Cojo goes on the set of USA's "The Starter Wife" to talk to leading lady Debra Messing about fashion, body image and her new fantasy scenes! "You're not diva enough," Cojo jokes to Debra. "You're way too nice!" Debra plays Molly Kagan, who has recently divorced a major movie producer and is now forced to go back into the working world. The comedy continues in the second season as Molly has moved into a house of her own with her daughter and she is ready to take on the job of a single, working mother. ![]() 2 Oct 2008 at 3:40am As the spooky Halloween spirit approaches, CBS? new season of "Ghost Whisperer" is coming back to life with its share of hair-raising drama on and off the set -- and ET's Mark Steines got a little Love on set with Jennifer Love Hewitt about her upcoming wedding plans and the new season of her hit show! Jennifer tells Mark about an eerie connection between the show and the devastating, real-life fire last June at Universal Studios, where "Ghost Whisperer" is filmed. Jennifer also reeled with excitement about her wedding planning and about her show's new season! "I don't think we've ever had a season this big on the show," Jennifer says. "We are going to shock the audience like you wouldn't believe." ![]() 1 Oct 2008 at 9:33pm Fans of new FOX thriller ?Fringe? can rest easy -- the network has picked up the show through the end of the 2008-2009 season, ET confirms. The trade reports that the show is the top-rated new show this season amongst adults 18-49. ?Fringe,? from ?Lost? and ?Alias? maestro J.J. Abrams, stars Anna Torv as an FBI investigator who is forced to team up with a scientist/mental patient (John Noble) to get to the bottom of paranormal happenings. Joshua Jackson co-stars as the mental patient?s son. The show airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on FOX. ![]() 1 Oct 2008 at 9:08pm Wedding bells for a very funny two-some.Love and marriage is alive in TV land. "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" co-stars Kaitlin Olson and Rob McElhenney have tied the knot. OK! magazine reports that the couple enjoyed an "intimate" wedding in Malibu after two years of dating. McElhenney created, exec produces and stars on the irreverent FX sitcom as "Mac," while Olson plays "Sweet Dee." And they're not even the first couple from the show to get hitched -- cast-mates Charlie Day and Mary Elizabeth Ellis wed in 2006, says the mag. |
6 Oct 2008 at 6:23pm
6 Oct 2008 at 5:24pm
6 Oct 2008 at 1:25am
6 Oct 2008 at 4:51pm
6 Oct 2008 at 1:28pm
6 Oct 2008 at 3:19pm
6 Oct 2008 at 4:08pm 6 Oct 2008 at 11:48am
6 Oct 2008 at 2:32pm 6 Oct 2008 at 4:23pm
6 Oct 2008 at 7:56am
6 Oct 2008 at 10:57am
6 Oct 2008 at 4:12pm 6 Oct 2008 at 3:41pm
6 Oct 2008 at 6:12pm
25 Sep 2008 at 7:55am Michael Cera and Kat Dennings star in this night-out adventure comedy 29 Sep 2008 at 5:37am Rodeo Drive goes to the dogs in this family comedy 17 Sep 2008 at 7:33am Shia LaBeouf and Michelle Monaghan star in this race-against-the-clock surveillance thriller 1 Oct 2008 at 10:33am Bill Murray stars in this kids' adventure story about an underground city 18 Sep 2008 at 9:06am Richard Gere and Diane Lane star in this romantic drama 23 Sep 2008 at 4:52am Director Spike Lee tells a tale of American soldiers in World War II Italy 1 Oct 2008 at 5:23am Here are some of the talented, and hot, actors we're looking forward to watching this fall 11 Sep 2008 at 5:37am Ricky Gervais stars as a man whose brush with death lets him see ghosts 16 Sep 2008 at 7:18am Samuel L. Jackson is a neighbor from hell in this thriller 6 Oct 2008 at 10:44am Paris exhibit showcases what Picasso learned from masters of the past 6 Oct 2008 at 10:08am Miley Cyrus celebrates her Sweet 16 with star-studded Disneyland concert and bash 6 Oct 2008 at 9:00am Dennis Hopper leads ensemble cast in Starz series `Crash' based on Oscar-winning film 6 Oct 2008 at 8:41am Audiences choose 'Chihuahua' as Barrymore's talking-dog comedy opens with $29 million weekend 6 Oct 2008 at 8:20am Wheeldon presents a richer, more mature program for second season of his 'Morphoses' 6 Oct 2008 at 8:19am From a president to a saint: Frank Langella leaves behind Nixon to play a British martyr 6 Oct 2008 at 7:42am King Tut exhibit opens in Dallas for another sweep of the United States 6 Oct 2008 at 7:05am Week in video-game news: A new Nintendo portable; AC/DC's 'Rock Band' deal 6 Oct 2008 at 6:19am 'Dancing with the Stars' contestant Misty May-Treanor injured 6 Oct 2008 at 6:15am After years of legal struggle, Slick Rick gets time in the spotlight at VH1 Hip Hop Honors |
6 Oct 2008 at 6:19pm Although I've lived on Chicago's North Side, less than two miles from Wrigley Field, for more than 30 years, I've never been much of a Cubs fan for three reasons. The first is that I grew up on the far, far Southeast Side--Gary, Indiana--where we were partial to the White Sox. The second is that the Sox integrated its player roster a full two years before the Cubs did. Minnie Minoso became the first black with the Southsiders on May 1, 1951. Ernie Banks, now Mr. Cub, wasn't hired by the Northsiders until September 17, 1953. My third reason for not caring about the Cubs is that I'm a bad-to-the-bone fair weather fan. Life's too short to waste it watching a losing team. And, in case you missed it, the Cubs' playoff loss Saturday made them official losers for a full century. The last time they won the World Series was in 1908. Because I've been smart enough to make better use of my time than watching the Cubs lose again, neither of my two grown sons have wasted any of their time watching the Cubs lose again either. So I think it's safe to say that there will be another generation of Andersons who aren't disappointed with an inevitable home team loss at venerable Wrigley Field. But there are tens of thousands, one generation to the next, who are not so lucky. One of those poor souls sent me an exasperated email confessing as much. Here's what Gerald Shinn, whose comments are published occasionally on my blog, had to say in his email: My grandfather was born in 1914 and became a Cubs fan when he came to Chicago from Minnesota around 1940. He didn't get to see them in the World Series in 1945 because he was still in Europe, having fought there in WWII. He died in 2000, having been a fan for over 60 yrs without ever seeing the Cubs in the Series. My father was a Cubs fan. Born in 1941, he was too young to have any memories of the 1945 series' appearance. He died in 2001, having been a fan for over 50 yrs without ever seeing them in the Series. I am a Cubs fan. I was born in 1967 and therefore have never known a pennant winning Cubs team despite being a die hard for 32 yrs. I tried to quit after last year's debacle to no avail. Like so many fans I talk to, I can no more separate myself from them than I can separate myself from me although after this latest catastrophe I have no doubt that no matter how long I live, I will die without ever seeing the Cubs in the World Series, as did my father and grandfather before me. There is but one saving grace: Thankfully, I have no children and thus have not encouraged any young innocents to be Cubs fans and squander a huge amount of time, money and emotion the way I was. We current Cubs fans have to make sure we are the last ones. I'm not saying don't have children. I'm saying don't let them become Cubs fans and follow the hopeless path we took. Just because our parents inflicted this cruelty on us is no justification to have it continue. Intentionally making innocent little kids miserable and depressed is child abuse and in the final analysis, being a Cubs fan is all about being miserable and depressed. Oh, Gerald, don't be so pessimistic--Wait 'til next century. Monroe Anderson is an award-winning journalist who penned op-ed columns for both the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times. He is a contributor to EbonyJet.com and The Huffington Post.
6 Oct 2008 at 5:48pm It's looking more and more likely that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will appear on ''Saturday Night Live'' -- to have some fun with Tina Fey. As the comedian's impressions of the GOP vice presidential candidate draw laughs from Republicans and Democrats alike, a top honcho from the John McCain campaign tells me there's a debate going on about how to respond.
6 Oct 2008 at 5:07pm I decided to reflect my thoughts about this show in the form of a letter. A letter to MTV. In case they actually read it. Dear MTV, I remember when you used to be a music video network. That was a long time ago. Sometime since then you morphed into a "reality" television network. In fact, you started reality television with the Real World. Somewhere along the line (probably the Flavor Flav dating show The Flavor of Love) you began to delve into Surreality television. But now you have gone too far. With your new program Model Makers you are looking to actually create a new reality. A reality that is dangerous and destructive to the young minds of your target demographic. While trying to cash in on America's impressionable youth, you are edging closer and closer to absolute moral and ethical bankruptcy. Let's take a close look at Model Makers. This is not just another modeling show interested in pretty faces and young women in turmoil. Yeah, you've definitely kept the "young women in turmoil" part, but you are also imparting a more direct and nefarious message: Transform young women into "high fashion" models by urging them at all times to lose weight. If you have your way: "15 lucky women from around the country will get the opportunity of a lifetime when MTV hands them over to Michael Flutie and an expert team of trainers, nutritionists, stylists, and other industry leaders. Under the watchful 'eye' of these experts, models will endure twelve weeks of intensive physical fitness training to help them get down to their 'ideal size.' Models will also compete in various high fashion challenges to determine who has star quality. With weekly eliminations looming, models must put their best foot forward at all times while staying focused on losing weight."
MTV then promises to award the winner of this contest: "$100,000, a professional modeling portfolio, a personal trainer for a year and the chance to jumpstart the career of your dreams." Do the watchful eyes of your experts include an ounce (how about a gram?) of responsible, nurturing supervision? Most importantly, while the winner gets a nice chunk of change, what is the real cost of Model Makers? Well, here's a page from the diary of a teenage girl that recently died of bulimia. After your show airs, I'll keep you abreast of others that I receive: Why must I chose being thin or poor?Whole outlook of life is altered when you're overweight. Look what Oprah goes through and Al Roker, Randy Jackson, Dolly Parton. All celebs had to have gastric bypass surgery, so how can I be successful without it... I'll risk death to be thin. I understand, I'll try anything to be thin. I've tried all the diets, fin fin, etc. If I had the money, I'd do gastric bypass. The battle never goes away, unless you lose weight of kill yourself. I don't know my exact weight, if I did I'd kill myself. I'd die to be thin. Signed -- XXXXXX Even though all of the celebrities in her letter didn't have gastric bypass as she stated, you get the point. You want reality MTV? Let's take a sobering look at the reality of eating disorders in America. It is estimated that there are 1.3 million women with Anorexia Nervosa, 2.25 million women with Bulimia nervosa, and 5.25 million women with Binge Eating Disorder. If you don't have a calculator handy (I'm assuming you shipped those out with all of the videos you got rid of) I'll go ahead and provide the running tally -- Well over 8 million women in the United States suffer from an eating disorder. These are not just numbers MTV. There are dire consequences for perpetuating the myth that women can't be beautiful or successful unless they are a size 0, or preferably, less. Young women are inundated with images of the perfect woman, and for some reason, they never seem to look like real people. Maybe that's because casting directors, the modeling industry, fashion magazines and now your network has forgotten that the average American woman is 5'4'', weighs 144 pounds and is a size 12-14. Hell, Marilyn Monroe was on the high side as a size 14. Did you take that into account when you allowed Model Makers to develop the following casting guidelines?: "If you are between the ages of 17 & 24, 5'9" to 6' tall, and 130-190 pounds, please send a recent photo of yourself (head shots and body shots in a bathing suit) to mtvmodel@madwood.tv..."Thanks for supplying an email address but I've got a better idea of what we should be sending. More letters like this one. To you, MTV, and the producers of Model Makers. By the way, were you aware that a psychological study in 1995 found that three minutes spent looking at a Fashion Magazine caused 70% of women to feel depressed , guilty and shameful! Incidentally, that is exactly how I felt when I found out about your new show. Sincerely, Darryl Roberts Director -- "America the Beautiful"
6 Oct 2008 at 3:56pm When a play like Michael Weller's Fifty Words (at MCC in New York City through October 25) dissects a relationship, it's hard not to take sides. A married couple, two lovers, indeed a relationship of any kind that gets put through the wringer is invariably going to draw you in. Who's in the right; who's wrong? Your sympathies tend to ping-pong back and forth with each new revelation. But as Adam (Norbert Leo Butz) and Jan (Elizabeth Marvel) bicker and fight the night before he goes away on a business trip and while their unseen son is away on a sleep-over, it's not your sympathy that skip back and forth, it's your antipathy. This far too routine story of domestic strife, with accusations of cold lovelessness on the one hand and serial unfaithfulness on the other doesn't reveal any great truths -- it just reveals two people who don't seem to belong in each other's company and certainly don't belong in ours. The most intriguing character is that little boy, a kid with a protective love of his hamster, a kid who has virtually no friends and a kid who tends to go hiding by piling up clothes in a closet and burrowing down to the bottom. Fifty Words would like to burrow down as well to the heart of the matter, but that center is hollow. Two fine actors aren't shown to their best because of that. Marvel admirably plays Jan without any soft touches; she doesn't try and win our sympathy, thereby earning some. And Butz is rather high-pitched, the sort of performance one gives when you sense the material you've been handed isn't quite enough. This was my first chance to see this Tony-winning actor who's made a name for himself in musicals like Thou Shalt Not, Wicked and his star-making turn in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. I kept thinking of Richard Dreyfuss and just like Dreyfuss -- or any good actor -- Butz can seem to be straining when the character is paper-thin. I look forward to seeing him in something more substantial. What others are saying: The New York Times' Ben Brantley said: "I don't know how engrossing I would have found this protracted apache dance if it hadn't been brought to such authentic and unsparing life by Mr. Butz, Ms. Marvel and [director Austin] Pendleton. The tirelessly physical performances here are unerringly dictated by the fierce, contradictory impulses of people who want to repel and magnetize at the same time." The New York Daily News' Joe Dziemianowicz said: Two stars out of five. "It's never a good sign when a review begins by praising a play's set. So let's get right to the superb scenic design of "Fifty Words," the unimpeachable aspect of Michael Weller's disagreeable marriage drama...." The New York Post's Frank Scheck said: Two stars out of four. "Unfortunately, the play never quite convinces, due to endless, quicksilver tonal shifts: This is one couple that can veer from post-coital bliss to brutal attacks within seconds." Theatremania's David Finkle said: "Granted, Weller writes convincing dialogue for two smart and accomplished people who know each other so well they can quickly locate every pushable button. But convincing dialogue doesn't necessarily equate with a convincing play.... Fortunately, Marvel (who's eventually required to appear topless in an extended scene) is mesmerizing in her ability to resemble a tightly-wound spring tightening, and Butz, whose dancing skill in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels has clearly prepared him for a different kind of compelling choreography, is a couple dozen springs sprung from a confining box. If the situation Weller puts them in is only passingly realistic, their performances are so real that the audience's temptation to turn away from the pain is all but constant." Bloomberg's John Simon said: "...this exhausting two-hander.... Why do two accomplished actors and one multitalented director -- Pendleton is also a fine actor and acting teacher -- go for this stuff? Because it lends itself to an unbridled display of acting and directing exercises." THAT OTHER WOMAN'S CHILD: A BLUEGRASS MUSICAL As part of the New York Musical Theatre Festival, I checked out That Other Woman's Child, as much for the subhead "a bluegrass musical" as any other reason, since I love bluegrass music and thought any show rooted in that genre would at least feature some nimble music. Not quite. In this over-stuffed comic melodrama, the step-daughter of the man that dumped the family matriarch -- Granny Loomis -- has returned to town upon his death and everyone assumes this city woman (red-headed, no less) is out to stake her claim to the failing family farm. When the giant Knob extended family isn't terrorized by Granny, they're pushed around by the family preacher (Allan Ledford). There's also a daughter unhappily engaged to a brutish suitor, a son who wants to leave home and become a country singer and enough in-laws and outlaws to keep the tiny stage this show was performed on bursting at the seams. All of this is played at the level of a skit on Hee-Haw. Listening to characters called Leviticus Numbers and Matthew Mark or Luke John or Corinthianne gets real old, real fast. Of course, Hee-Haw had lame jokes but it also had GREAT music. If this show had great music, too, no one would care about the straining plot. Unfortunately, the music is not up to Hee-Haw standards and rarely bluegrass to boot. (Throwing in a banjo doesn't mean a song is immediately bluegrass -- you need a jazzy, improvisatory feel to achieve that.) The show ends with enough weddings to make Jane Austen seem miserly in comparison. And the large cast does its able best, helped along by choreography (Mark Knowles) and direction (Sherry Landrum, who also co-wrote the show with George S. Clinton) that deserves credit just for keeping folk from bumping into each other. But too many songs fall back on banal lyrics and the few that don't (such as the modestly clever "True Partners," which looks at couples from the Bible) are chained to flat melodies. Only a few times does someone break out of the noisy story to hit a real emotional note. The perenially knocked-up Song of Solomon (yep, that's her name -- told you it gets old) sings "Honeysuckle" and in her one moment in the spotlight, Erin Parker delivers this tune with the high lonesome ache one associates with bluegrass. Later, tall glass of water and would-be singer Jimmy John (Quinn VanAntwerp, which has to be the least country name imaginable) delivers the fairly anonymous "Wings of Freedom" with a little bit of Elvis and then really scores with "All About Mama," a genuine (or if you prefer, "gen-u-wine") bit of country hokum that would indeed kill on the Grand Ole Opry. Others have their moments, but rarely musical ones and a musical without good songs is like a bar-b-que without beef.
6 Oct 2008 at 3:18pm Drew Barrymore told the November issue of Bazaar that Barack Obama made her cry. "When I heard him speak about a gay person never having to sit outside the hospital room with their loved one sick inside, I burst into tears because so many people I care about are homosexual and it was profound to have someone be sensitive to that. That's the kind of world I want to live in, where we're not holding our own principles in judgment above someone or against someone." She added, "It's the first time I've really admitted I'm a Democrat." She also calls Republican candidate John McCain "is a good person, and he does care, but he has voted against things that are shocking as far as people's liberties and economic choices." On Sarah Palin: "I think people realize the intention of the choice." On voting: "I was raised in a family -- well, no family, really, so no one talked to me about politics or why voting is important. So my way to educate myself was driving around America and filming all sorts of people with different mind-sets.... I became an avowed voter and feel it is really important to engage other people in it." On dating: "I've been single for months now, and I've turned my attention towards my passions, my friends and the causes I believe in. "I've learned to put myself second. I've had a couple of fun, frolicky relationships, but really, I got out of five-year-relationship and dated a few people here and there. Mostly it's been about learning who I am, not through a man, but for myself. "I've been spending more time with my friends and doing more traveling with the U.N." -- she's been to Kenya twice -- "and challenging myself with work. I'm so happy with where my priorities are right now."
6 Oct 2008 at 3:15pm My mother loved Paul Newman, whose most memorable characters were a rebellious, disreputable 180 from the faithful, respectable man she married. My father was secure enough in their marriage that would last nearly 60 years that he wasn't jealous when she joked about running away with him. When Mr. Newman passed away Sept. 26, the third anniversary of her death, my siblings and I exchanged "how about that" emails. Years ago, my oldest brother ran into Newman at the airport, and, on behalf of my mother, asked for his autograph. He politely, but firmly declined, telling him, "Sorry, pal. Tell your mom that I don't sign autographs but I'd be happy to buy her a beer." Years later, I had a chance of my own to obtain his signature for her while interviewing Newman during a publicity junket prior to the release of "Nobody's Fool." Asking for an autograph in these tightly controlled circumstances is a serious breach of junket etiquette and immediately brands the offending journalist as a rube, so, sorry mom, I played a cool hand. I did, though, relate to him my brother's experience at the airport. He said that he remembered the instant he stopped signing autographs. "I was standing at a urinal in Sardi's," he recalled, "and this guy came though the door with a piece of paper. I thought this was inappropriate. It wasn't just an invasion of privacy. It was an invasion of purpose." I'd like to think that somewhere up there, my mother might finally run into her screen idol, and that he will buy her that beer.
6 Oct 2008 at 2:53pm As a young feminist activist working in Washington, DC, I've had the opportunity to achieve many of my life goals: obtaining a graduate degree, becoming a writer, and serving as an advocate for women's rights. Last week, however, I fulfilled a lifelong dream of a different sort: I finally saw my favorite childhood band, the New Kids on the Block, perform live. And I did it in concert with about 20,000 other screaming twenty- and thirty-something year-old women. I was 8-years-old when NKOTB rose to fame with their Hangin' Tough album and I became an instant fan. When I think back to 4th, 5th, and 6th grade, I mostly recall my intense crush on the band. I listened to their music, watched their videos and Saturday morning cartoon, became an official member of their fan club, and bought their merchandise. And, boy, did I have their merchandise: a NKOTB sleeping bag, T-shirts, posters, action figures, buttons, and tapes. Outside of the stuff that came with my devotion to the pop group was a real love for their music. It was something that I shared in common with all of my female peers at the time. I have fond memories of sleepovers spent listening and dancing to their music, creating a fake radio show with my cousin where we talked about and played their songs, and banding together with my female classmates to defend ourselves from the boys in class who teased us for our dedication to the band. And the wholesome songs--with lyrics like "you got the right stuff," "baby, I believe in you," and "girl, you're my best fri | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||