Monday, December 30, 2013

On the Sober Path

He shocked us all when he disclosed last September that he had sought counseling to help him with his alcohol and cocaine use, but, today, Zac Efron is the picture of health.

That is when he isn’t breaking his jaw, of course.

But, anyway, there Efron was at an L.A. Lakers game recently, wearing his six-month sobriety chip from AA.

Good goin’, kid. Good goin’.

Photo: UsMagazine.com.

Healthy and In Love

Robin Roberts wants us all to know she is doing quite well post-health woes…and that she is gay.

The Good Morning America anchor took to her Facebook over the weekend to thank those whose support helped get her through her 2007 breast cancer diagnosis and her 2012 struggle with myelodysplastic syndrome (a disease of the bone marrow).

That included her longtime girlfriend, with whom she has been for a decade.

“I am grateful for my sister, for being my donor, for my entire family, my Amber, and friends as we prepare to celebrate a glorious new year together,” she wrote.

Right on, R2! Here’s to a 2014 that’s filled with health and love.

Photo: UsMagazine.com.

Sunday, December 29, 2013

Her Husband’s Got a Secret...

One of the most eagerly anticipated films of 2014, the adaptation of of Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl, is cooking with gas, kids.

I mean it, and here’s the proof: a first look at Ben Affleck, and, to a certain extent, Rosamund Pike, in character as Nick and Amy Dunne, respectively (and…ish).

I cannot and will not spoil what happens in the book for y’all, but…do you think he had anything to do with it?

Wanna find out for sure?

Then read…or earmark Oct. 3 in your calendar because that’s when the David Fincher-directed answer will arrive in theaters.

Photo: HuffingtonPost.com.

Saturday, December 28, 2013

Britney Does Vegas

Vegas has a new queen, and her name is Britney Spears.

Indeed, the wait finally came to an end last night when La Spears kicked off her hits-filled two-year residency at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in grand style.

Among those in attendance for the first “Britney: Piece of Me” show were Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry, and Mario Lopez.

And the pop tart’s lip-synching machine, natch.

Photo: People.com.

Well, Hello There, Mr. Turing

It happened this week: Mathematician Alan Turing received a royal pardon from the British government for his once-upon-a-time “gross indecency” conviction.

So, to drum up interest in the upcoming Benedict Cumberbatch vehicle The Imitation Game, co-starring Keira Knightley, the powers that be have given us Cumberbitches and the world our first look at our guy in character.

And who is Turing, you ask?

My, history buffs – and fans of the Cumber-stud – will know that he was the math man who cracked the German “Enigma Code,” helping prevent defeat for the Allies during World War II, and who was then prosecuted in 1950s England for being gay (quite the thanks for his trouble).

Hope the actor fares better with this playing-a-real-man situation than he did with The Fifth State.

Photo: Towleroad.com.

The Look of the Winter Soldier

Been curious about what not-so-little-anymore Sebastian Stan will look like when Captain America: The Winter Soldier opens in the spring?

Well be curious no mo.

Here’s the cover of the upcoming February issue of Empire Magazine, which features the first clear look at Stan in costume.

Ya welcome!

Photo: EW.com.

Friday, December 27, 2013

Examining a Life

Well look at that.

Robert Pattinson will soon be getting back together with Kristen Stewart taking direction from one of his peers.

Indeed, R. Patz has signed on to star in The Childhood of a Leader, which will be helmed by actor-cum-director Brady Corbet.

The Corbet-co-written World War II-era drama will co-star Juliette Binoche and Tim Roth.

Photo: NYCProwler.com.

Battlefield Girl

She already came at us like a Cannonball,” and now Lea Michele is drawing us into her Battlefield.

Oh yes she is.

Listen up:



Both songs, off her upcoming solo debutLouder (which is due out on March 4), will be available as instant downloads when you pre-order the multi-hyphenate’s album, starting tomorrow on the iTunes.

The more you know, you know….

2013: The Year in Review

Well look at that: We made it another year.

And since we can’t stop (do we even want to?), we I gotta celebrate that (and the fact that, one year later, I am back home) with my traditional look back at the year that was up on the silver screen.

Because if you wanna have a clue where you’re going then you gotta remember where you came from. I remember and I know that now (in more ways than one).

Hope this review of our filmed 2013 shines a light on what we saw, and that some of it will illuminate what is yet to come.

Happy 2014!

10 Best Films of the Year (in alphabetical order):

American Hustle
Before Midnight
The East
Fruitvale Station
Gravity
Mud
The Place Beyond the Pines
Prisoners
Saving Mr. Banks
What Maisie Knew

Honorable Mention: Blackfish

Best Directors: Derek Cianfrance (The Place Beyond the Pines), Alfonso Cuarón (Gravity), Richard Linklater (Before Midnight), David O. Russell (Silver Linings Playbook), Dennis Villeneuve (Prisoners)

Best Bitch: Only God Forgives’ Kristin Scott Thomas

Best Cameoing Boy Band: Backstreet Boys, who surprised by turning up, literally and figuratively, in This Is the End and Girl Most Likely

Best Dressed: Onata Aprile in What Maisie Knew

Best Entrance: Leonardo DiCaprio’s as Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby

Best Look: Ryan Gosling’s in Only God Forgives

Best Endearing Loser: Alexander SkarsgÃ¥rd in What Maisie Knew

Best Infuriating: The parents (Julianne Moore and Steve Coogan) in What Maisie Knew

Best Line: “I want to rob!” said by Emma Watson in The Bling Ring

Best Party: The one in Much Ado About Nothing

Best Tease: Don Jons Scarlett Johansson

Best Supporting Actors: James Franco (Spring Breakers), Jake Gyllenhaal (Prisoners), Tom Hanks (Saving Mr. Banks), Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club), Matthew McConaughey (Mud)

Can’t Wait to See More of – Female (tie): Gal Gadot, from Fast & Furious 6, and Jena Malone (The Hunger Games: Catching Fire)

Can’t Wait to See More of – Male (tie): James Badge Dale, from Iron Man 3 and World War Z, and Chris Hemsworths bum (as seen in Rush)

Should’ve Had a Better Year: Fast & Furious 6’s Luke Evans

Most Disturbingly Mesmerizing: Cameron Diaz’s car-f---in’ in The Counselor

Best Supporting Actresses: Melonie Diaz (Fruitvale Station), Naomie Harris (Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom), Jennifer Lawrence (American Hustle), Scarlett Johansson (Don Jon), Octavia Spencer (Fruitvale Station)

Most Edge-of-your-seat: The climax of Before Midnight

Most Ridikolous: The airplane runway at the end of Fast & Furious 6

Most Surprising: Gwyneth Paltrow in Iron Man 3

Most Welcome to the A-List: Henry Cavill

Wish I’d Seen It at the Movies (tie): Blue Jasmine and Enough Said

Worst Mother Figure: Julianne Moore, who did her part in What Maisie Knew and Carrie

Best Actors: Idris Elba (Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom), Hugh Jackman (Prisoners), Michael B. Jordan (Fruitvale Station), Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club), Tye Sheridan (Mud)

Best Actresses: Amy Adams (American Hustle), Sandra Bullock (Gravity), Greta Gerwig (Frances Ha), Emma Thompson (Saving Mr. Banks), Shailene Woodley (The Spectacular Now)

Photos: Focus Features (The Place Beyond the Pines); Millennium Entertainment (What Maisie Knew); Warner Bros. (Prisoners); E! Online (Iron Man 3).

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Bad Bee

You know how when you grow up you stop doing certain things?

In the upcoming Bad Words, Jason Bateman just…doesn’t.

Check out the red-band trailer for the oh-so-potty-mouthed comedy, in which the Arrested Development star plays a grown douche who keeps entering the National Spelling Bee on like, a technicality, and ends up finding his first friend in forever in a 10-year-old boy.

Look for Bad Words in March, yo.

Into Africa

Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore are hoping their third time together will be as equally charmed as their previous couple blockbustin collaborations.

’Cause the two are following up their Wedding Singer and 50 First Days with Blended in 2014.

Check out the trailer for Sandmore’s new blended-families-falling-in-love-in-Africa summer comedy, which is coming out next May.

Looks…a’ight, right? Like America just may love it?

Photo: AceShowbiz.com.

In Search of Raw Talent

Jon Hamm is ready to be seen.

So the Mad Man is letting Disney show him off (no, not in that way).

Next spring Hamm will be starring in his first big leading-man silver-screen role in Million Dollar Arm, the Jerry Maguire-ish story of sports agent-cum-reality show creator J.B. Bernstein, whose show, Million Dollar Arm, chronicled his search for promising baseball talent in India’s cricket community.

Here’s to hoping the movie – co-starring Alan Arkin, Lake Bell, and Life of Pi’s Suraj Sharma – is a total home run.

Photo: HollywoodReporter.com.

Adore Miley or Die

Happy Boxing Day, people.

And how’s this for a post-Christmas treat? It’s the new Miley Cyrus, a little ditty that goes by the name of Adore You,” the video for which just dropped this morning.

There’s a little lite masturbation in the clip, so if you are in the mood to get goin’ on your naughty for the next holiday season....

Enjoy!

Photo: UsMagazine.com.

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

All We Wanted for Christmas…

Sexiest Man Alive Adam Levine is a giver.

He knew that all I we wanted for Christmas was Adam Levine, so my SoFine gave me us exactly that: himself, all wrapped up in his love.

In his love for fiancée Behati Prinsloo.

The lovebirds were goofing around on the 23rd when the Victoria’s Secret stunner posted these pics of Levine on Instagram to make us feel all jelly and s---.

Aw…love.

Photo: UsMagazine.com.

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Merry…Ay Yi Yi From Sofia Vergara

Man, does Sofia Vergara give good thong.

The Modern Family standout showcased, or in goss-magazinese, flaunted her hot bod in a thong bikini last summer, and she’s doing it again for Christmas.

The actress is down in Mexico on holiday, with a six-pack in hand – meaning her snack of a fiancé, Nick Loeb – and nothing but her natural born Colombian confidence. Up all day and probably night to get lucky with Santa.

Who, btw, will definitely be able to decide if she’s been naughty or nice since, y’ know…she’s turning both cheeks.

Work it, woman.

Photo: People.com.

Him?

Well, this is interesting.

Her potential Best Actor Oscar nominee Joaquin Phoenix is reportedly being considered to play the main baddie in the forthcoming Man of Steel sequel o.k.a. Batman vs. Superman starring Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, and Gal Gadot.

Mmm…if the guy shaves his head in the next few months, then you know he’s doing it.

And that he’ll be playing Lex friggin’ Luthor.

Photo: FourLetterNerd.com.

Monday, December 23, 2013

No Houdini…But Maybe Blackbeard?

Javier Bardem will not be playing Blackbeard in the Joe Wright-directed Pan.

So enter Hugh Jackman?

Perhaps.

The Awesome Aussie is negotiating taking the swashbuckling part in the Peter Pan origin story. And he might be quite far along in his negotiating: Jackman just pulled out of starring on Broadway’s Houdini, which Aaron Sorkin and Danny Elfman, among others, have been working for like, the last three years (at least). If not longer: Elfman said in 2010 that he had been at it for a good couple of years.

WWHD?

I guess we shall have to wait and see.

Photo: FlicksAndBits.com.

He Liked It…So He Put a Ring on It

Step aside, Gloria and Emilio: Here comes…Miami’s new first couple.

Longtime lovers Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade are engaged to be married.

The Heat star finally popped the question (the two have been an item since 2009) last Saturday, and the actress took to Instagram to let the world know about the happy news – and flaunt the impressive 8.5-carat stunner Wade presented to her.

You did good, baller!

Btw, this pic is a snap the couple released after he put a ring on it (cause he liked it!), and you can just tell they are glowing.

Photo: People.com.

Yep, He’s Groot

It’s official: Vin Diesel is now part of the Marvelverse.

For whom he will play a trunk.

Yes, as speculated all summer and fall, the Fast star will play the giant tree-creature-like alien Planet X denizen Groot in next summer’s Guardians of the Galaxy.

The Aug. 1 blockbuster stars Chris Pratt, Zoë Saldana, Bradley Cooper, Lee Pace, Glenn Close, and Benicio Del Toro.

And on a related note, Diesel has announced that the upcoming Fast & Furious 7 will now open on April 10, 2015.

The movie was meant to open next summer, but production was halted in the wake of Paul Walker’s death last month.

Diesel also shared a picture of himself with Walker, of the last scene they filmed together.

Photo: EW.com.

Sunday, December 22, 2013

The Cheated-on Women Club

Next spring, the world will end.

I mean, what else can you say to explain a man who cheats on Leslie Mann with Cameron Diaz, and who cheats on Cameron Diaz with Kate Upton, and who cheats who Kate Upton – and then sees all three come together to exact revenge on him.

KnowwhatImean!

That, in a nutshell, is what Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (HBO’s Game of Thrones) does – and what happens to him! – in The Other Woman, a new comedy opening on April 25.

Check out the trailer, and do save the date.

Photo: ComingSoon.net.

Saturday, December 21, 2013

American Hustler


So I now get why Matthew McConaughey peaced outta playing JFK in Lee Daniels’ The Butler: Playing a real-life AIDS patient from the ’80s in Dallas Buyers Club offered him the meatier showcase.

A bit of an irony, since the actor went the Method route for the part and dropped a ton of weight last year to play Ron Woodroof, a wiry rodeo-loving Texas redneck with a smart mouth and an ever smarter mind for a good ol hustle.

Worry not, the McConau-Bod is back.

But I digress.

McConaughey is most excellent in this Jean-Marc Vallée-directed film. He is gritty (the film opens with Ron…uh…engaging with a couple of skanks ladies...in like, a bull pen...during a rodeo, his every thrust mimicking the action out on the dirt), and vulnerable (the actor’s face gradually drowns in fear after getting his summer 1985 30-day death sentence).

But his Ron is also a huckster-like survivalist.

Within those first 30 days (which he kicks off by rebelliously vowing to his doctors, played by American Horror Story’s Denis O’Hare and a noble Jennifer Garner, that there ain’t nothing out there that can kill him in 30 days) we see him weasel his way into what he thinks will be a life-saving solution: an AZT drug trial. It’s a grand idea that he arrives at over drinks...through the power of praying…at the altar of the pole (yes, that pole).

That is Ron, a man who begins to find solutions to problems in a strip joint, and this is the first of many examples of the guy’s under-the-table ingenuity and resolve. He wants to live, and he is more than happy to go at it alone. His redneck buddies have deserted him, taking with them his electrician gig, and he has been evicted from his trailer in a crude manner through some “FAGGOT BLOOD” graffiti.

Ron is super-straight, btw.

When the AZT doesn’t work, when it doesn’t cure him as he maybe thought it would, Ron educates himself, and that’s when every color of his brain is mapped out for us). He ends up in Mexico, sick as a dog with like, nine T cells, getting all these experimental non-FDA-approved drugs and treatments. It’s there that the seed for a buyers club is planted, and where McConaughey shows a canny a restraint that helps avoid a free fall into melodrama territory.

Three months have passed (take that, doctors!) so he figures he’ll monetize his disease and bank on his cleverness back home in Dallas. There is a strong hint of outrage in Ron’s decision to bring back these drugs into the United States, a suggestion that – having learned that AZT as it stood at pre-national dialogue time was nothing more than a Big Pharma/FDA peddle – he selflessly, for a moment, thought it was good thing to do not only for himself but for others.

This comes into focus after Ron meets fellow patient Rayon, an equally savvy transgender woman played by Jared Leto. Their special, completely non-sexual (Garner is the love interest in this one), almost sibling-like relationship gives the film its heart and really translates the growth of Ron as a man.

Leto proves a formidable partner for McConaughey in this regard.

For his first on-screen job in forever, he, too, dropped, a ton of weight for the film. His Rayon is tender where Ron is gruff, and she, in many ways, serves as not only his strength to survive for seven years (and even take a case for his right to be healthy to court) but also as the invaluable prism through which we should look at Dallas Buyers Club.

My Rating ***

Photo: Focus Features.