Just Because, Pt. 4

It’s time to let go.

But, for all time sakes, for the cheap seats in the back, and why the heck not (don’t judge me)…

“This is the way you left me, /

I'm not pretending. /

No hope, no love, no glory, /

No Happy Ending. /

This is the way that we love, /

Like it's forever. /

Then live the rest of our life, /

But not together. /

Wake up in the morning, stumble on my life. /
Can't get no love without sacrifice. /

If anything should happen, I guess I wish you well. /

Mmm a little bit of heaven, but a little bit of hell.”

Photo: Spin.com.

Of Casts and Men

Thought I’d share some casting news today…mostly because I just was waiting for any excuse to use this picture of Daniel Craig (at right) I found what feels like an eternity ago.

Craig will star in the World War II drama Defiance, which Edward Zwick (Blood Diamond) will write, direct, and produce.

The film follows the story of four Jewish brothers living in Nazi-occupied Poland who escape into the forest, where they join Russian resistance fighters in battling the Nazis and trying to save the lives of other Jews. Production is scheduled to begin in September.

The actor will then move onto the next Bond movie, Bond 22, which is set to begin production next winter for a November 2008 release.

He next will be seen opposite Nicole Kidman in both The Invasion on Aug. 17, and His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass on Dec. 7.

In other news, which I’m throwing out there because if I didn’t I would’ve had to title this post “Of Casts and Man,” Ashton Kutcher and Cameron Diaz are in talks to star in What Happens in Vegas..., a romantic comedy about two strangers who wake up after a night of debauchery in Las Vegas to discover that they are married. When one of them wins a jackpot with the other's quarter, the two try to undermine each other in order stake claim as the rightful owner of the prize money…falling in love along the way.

Now, about the picture…is it not the hottest thing you’ve seen all day long?

Photo: Galleries.Lycos.co.uk.

And You Can Go Green…For Inspiration

Madonna has written a new song titled "Hey You," which is available exclusively on MSN, free of charge, for seven days.

Go get it.

Inspired by Live Earth, "Hey You" was co-produced by Pharrell. Madonna will perform the song as one of the headliners for Live Earth U.K., joining the Beastie Boys, Genesis, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and other performers at Wembley Stadium in London on July 7, as part of the 24-hour, seven-continent Live Earth concert series.

As the exclusive online destination for Live Earth, MSN will donate $0.25 of each of the first 1 million downloads to the Alliance for Climate Protection, in support of Live Earth.

Love. It.

Photo: Madonna.cz.com.

The Power of Good-Bye

I am not one to cry during TV shows.

Alright, I kind of have been known, from time to time, to tear up, a little bit, privately, like during the last 15 minutes of part 2 of the three-hour Meredith-can’t-die-can-she? February sweeps saga Shonda Rhimes wrote for Grey’s Anatomy.

Fine – I completely gave in to the waterworks when Buffy killed Angel at the end of Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s second season finale…and when Andy died on Charmed…and when Ross said Rachel’s name and not Emily’s on Friends…and when Sex and the City ended.

Jeez. I suppose I am a big cry baby…when it comes to my stories.

Anyway, guess what I did last night as I watched the – here I go – series finale of Gilmore Girls.

Yep, I cried. A lot. And how could I not? Rory (Alexis Bledel) left Stars Hollow, which came out in full force to send her off, to go on the campaign trail with Barack Obama, and Luke (Scott Patterson) – dreamy, kind-hearted Luke – and Lorelai finally kissed (again).

It’s not a new day for the girls; it’s a new world.

Melancholy definitely was in the air, and the Gilmore Girls finale was as befitting of the show as it could be. Now, Emmy voters better be planning to pay Lauren Graham, who played Lorelai with phenomenal aplomb for seven years, the respect she deserves and give her the award, already.

Photo: GilmoreGirlsNews.com.

Artistic Integrity 

A lot is being said about Kelly Clarkson’s upcoming album My December. The blogosphere’s aflutter with talk that the original American Idol and her record label, RCA, are at odds over the songs she wants to release, most of which she co-wrote without the help of hit-makers like Max Martin. (Martin is the man behind her smash hit “Since U Been Gone,” the Backstreet Boys’ “I Want It That Way,” and Britney Spears’ “…Baby One More Time.”)

People.com reported earlier this week that Clarkson told MTV News she was “offended” by her label’s suggestion she use a “Lindsay Lohan track from her last album [for] me to record it for my new album." The “Never Again” singer – a song that, by the way, totally is growing on me – is said to have called the material RCA was sending her “almost insulting.”

“I'm like, 'You can't even find new songs?'” she said. “'You don't want me to write my album, but you're sending me hand-me-downs?'"

I think it shows a lot of courage that Clarkson is speaking up about this process, and that she’s defending the songs she wants to put out there and ultimately sell.

I’ve enjoyed her stuff for a long time, but I’ve never bought any of her albums (because radio has been known to over-play her, which can make any artist sound tiresome after a while). But I’m thinking I will be purchasing My December when it comes out on June 26…just to help her stick it to the Man.

After all, she did say to me, “Dude, you’re awesome!” this one time.

Alright, maybe it was, “Dude, it’s awesome!” (after I asked her if she felt lucky gal backstage at the 2005 MTV VMAs). But you know what I mean.

Photo: TatteredCoat.com.

Simply Irresistible, Pt. 15

An all-star cast headlines Evening (due out June 29), a drama exploring the romantic past and emotional present of Ann Grant (Vanessa Redgrave) and her daughters, Constance (Natasha Richardson) and Nina (Toni Collette).

As Ann lies in bed dying, she conveys to her daughters the defining moments in her life 50 years before, when she was a young woman.

Redgrave, Richardson, and Collette are but three of the many fantastic actresses who are sure to be resplendent in Evening, but I’d like to talk about the two men who will join them and Meryl Streep, Mamie Gummer, Claire Danes, Glenn Close, and Eileen Atkins on screen.

I’m taking about Patrick Wilson (Little Children) – oh, Patrick Wilson, how I love you! – and Hugh Dancy (HBO’s Elizabeth I).

I saw the trailer for the film last week when I saw Georgia Rule, and I immediately was enthralled.

I’m quite fond of big ensemble cast films, but when those films co-star two men, who could not be dreamier and more talented, well…let’s just say they make me all the more curious. Chick flick, schmick flick – I am sooo watching and enjoying Evening.

Photo: Focus Features.

And I Call Myself a Fan

OMG – I cannot believe I just remembered this.

As you know, I am a big fan of Mr. Damien Rice. But I completely dropped the ball on spreading the word about his new video for the amazingly brooding “Rootless Tree,” which I should’ve done…back in January.

Could I be any more of a hack? (That’s a rhetorical question, so save it.)

To make up for such a flagrant error in judgment, how about I point you in the direction of several Damien Rice videos? You can thank me later.

There – all’s better now.

Photo: EskimoFriends.com.

Fun, Fearless Female

Year of the Dog’s Molly Shannon made her triumphant return to Saturday Night Live on May 12 – as a host, following a six-year absence – and I’m still laughing.

Shannon played three of her most iconic characters – including fan favorites underarm-sniffing Catholic school girl Mary Katherine Gallagher, and 50-year-old limber-limbed Sally O'Malley – during the consistently show. The Sally O’Malley-tries-for-a-spot-at-the-Bada Bing!-of-The Sopranos was particularly hilarious, as Shannon went all the way there: a deep, hard camel toe.

In the words of another of her famous characters, licensed joyologist Helen Madden: I loved it, I loved it, I loved it!

Photo: Kinoweb.de (Superstar).

The Sweetest Thing

Before I tell you anything about Waitress, I simply must say I adored this film.

I adored Keri Russell in it.

I adored the feeling behind it.

And I adored the writing in it.

Waitress is a small film, yet its heart is very big. It is a bittersweet film in more ways than one. Its most poignant quality lies in the fact that writer-director and co-star Adrienne Shelly is no longer among us to bask in the spotlight of success this darling film is sure to burn bright. (Shelly was murdered in New York City last fall just days before finding out the film would premiere at Sundance, where it would become a hit.)

Its plot is less shocking, yet just as moving.

When Jenna (Russell, in a star-making turn), a waitress in a cheery Southern diner, discovers that she's pregnant with her abusive, annoying, and needy husband Earl's (Jeremy Sisto) baby, she doesn't exactly jump for joy.

Suddenly hopeless, her dreams for a better life are in ruins, until a good-looking doctor (Serenity’s Nathan Fillion) arrives in town.

Jenna finds her only solace in her friends (Shelly and Curb Your Enthusiasm’s Cheryl Hines), and in the pies she bakes and names after the tumultuous events and emotions of her daily life (i.e., "I Don't Want Earl's Baby" pie).

The pregnancy eventually changes Jenna’s life, giving her an unexpected and newfound confidence via the letters she writes to her unborn baby.

Like I said, Russell is…I would say a revelation, but I already was keenly aware of her talents; she starred on one of my all-time favorite TV shows, Felicity. So I’ll say she’s tremendous and leave it at that.

The feeling behind this film is, for lack of a better word, palpable. It is a testament to Shelly’s writing, to her talent, really, with which I wasn’t familiar, that these carefully drawn characters and this beautiful story could be so moving, so sad, and so real at the same time that they never felt phony. Waitress is a triumph.

My Rating ****

Photo: Fox Searchlight Pictures.

A Little More Personal

Georgia Rule probably should have the disclaimer that appears in the preface of books or at the end of most films written over Lindsay Lohan’s face in its poster – Any resemblance to real-life people or events is purely coincidental – for all eyes are on Lohan and her character in this Garry Marshall-directed movie.

The young actress plays Rachel, a rebellious, out-of-control San Francisco hellcat who is sent by her mother, Lilly (Felicity Huffman), to live with her grandmother – the titular Georgia (Jane Fonda) – in quiet little Hull, Idaho.

Grandma, the teen knows, had a contentious relationship with Lilly. Upon arrival – and after strutting her sunny Californian self around town and quickly establishing her status as trouble in the process – Rachel dares her to try and “jerk me around.” It’s a dare Georgia meets with a surprising, “Go f--- yourself.”

That’s the kind of matriarch Georgia is; she lives by a number of unbreakable rules, demanding anyone who comes to her home respect them. She suffers no fools, so perhaps she will be the influence Linds…I mean, Rachel needs.

You see what just happened there: I confused actress with character. And let me tell you, it isn’t so much a distraction that the line is blurred, what with Lohan’s shenanigans infamously chronicled in the tabloids. It’s because of the parallels that are drawn, seemingly, between the two. It’s because this movie is a little more personal, in a way. It hits the teen queen’s home somewhat close.

Georgia, saddled with looking after her granddaughter, will require each patient breath she takes to understand Rachel's fury. When the truth finally rears its ugly head, you’ll want the young woman to be saved from her demons…and from herself. This applies to Lohan, too, IMHO as a fan.

Rachel has good reason to be troubled, and you will be hard-pressed not to feel for her. But what’s Lohan’s damage? Will you feel empathy for Rachel, since the distinction between actress and character has been weakened so much?

I mentioned the performances a moment ago. They are strong as can be, and quite layered. But expectations are so high – or low, depending on your point of view – that I cannot help but want to save Georgia Rule from itself as well. Would it be too much to ask you to give it chance?

I have inevitably and predictably mentioned what happened and continues to happen with Lohan’s life off screen. How could I not, given the nature of her character. But cut me some slack – everyone’s doing it. I at least kept it 50-50.

My Rating ***

Photo: Universal Pictures.

The Plot Thickens

Last night’s “The Man Behind the Curtain,” a Ben- (Michael Emerson, pictured at right) centric episode of Lost, offered revelations and an unexpected, jaw-drop-inducing bang.

If you’re a fan, then click here – do it! – to read a spoilertacular recap on EW.com.

Photo: EW.com.

Just Because, Pt. 3

Evidently, I like Rascal Flatts, or at least some of their stuff.

You know, because…

“What hurts the most /

Was being so close /

And having so much to say /

And watching you walk away.”

Who knew, right? I didn’t. I mean, I do, but I didn’t know that I would find the song so…so gosh darn…you know. I guess it’s true what they say about country music.

Photo: BN.com.

I’ll Take a Glimmer with a Side of Possibility Please

I’ve been holding on to the news that The CW recently gave a fourth season of the criminally under-watched Veronica Mars “a glimmer of hope,” for, honestly, I couldn’t bear to get my hopes up only to be disappointed on this one.

But I just decided it’s time to throw caution to the wind, and hope for the best.

And the best would be more Veronica Mars. You have to get the DVDs of the seasons that already are out if you don’t believe. I dare ya – I double-dare ya – to tell me you didn’t enjoy this smartly written, layered fun, beautifully acted show.

Photo: TheCW.com.

Yeah, I Got a Crush on Mandy

Mandy Moore’s new video for her latest single, “Extraordinary,” is now out there – and there’s plenty of the erstwhile “Candy” singer to go around and love.

The song, by the way, plays over the end credits of this Friday’s Georgia Rule.

And no, it wasn’t the best part of the Jane Fonda-Felicity Huffman-Lindsay Lohan movie, so don’t be hatin’, alright.

Photo: TheBosh.com.

The Simple Life (Not)

By now, we all know that Paris Hilton’s going to jail on June 5 for 45 days. Her cell mate’s going to get rich.

It was Breaking News on CNN on Friday.

Seriously.

CNN and all the outlets really ought to put a moratorium on “Breaking News”; in fact, the expression only should be used when the troops come home.

Now, is it “cruel” that the heir-head has had to find out that stars may be blind but justice isn’t – the hard way? Perhaps, but it’s wickedly enjoyable to see that she’s being held accountable for what she does or, in this case, I guess, doesn’t do.

At the end of the day it’s like, big whoop. But the debate will rage on…I already can see the headlines.

Is pop culture finally sending Paris Hilton away by actually sending her away (to the clink)? Or will this new “street cred,” if you will, make her a bigger phenomenon than ever before? We’ll find out this summer. You gotta give it to her, though: she'll go everywhere.

On a sort of unrelated note, say it isn’t so, Lindsay!

Photo: Blogging.la.

Web Master of His Domain

The long-awaited Spider-Man 3 swings into movie theaters today – and some people are so excited, they just can’t hide it.

I was one of those people who took in a midnight screening last night, which is kind of a really crazy thing to do on a school night. It was a long movie, after all, but it was fun; a 7 out of a possible 10. (I’d give the original movie an 8, and the first sequel a 9.)

Ah, yes – Spider-Man 3 doesn’t quite hold up the way Spider-Man 2 did, mostly because there’s a lot packed into 140 minutes of summer blockbuster fun, especially in the first third.

There’s the ominous introduction of a black alien symbiote, that of not one but two villains, and that of a potential new love interest. Not to mention, Peter Parker’s girlfriend Mary Jane Watson also is back – and she’s going through something – as is Peter’s estranged best friend Harry Osborn.

You’d think by now Peter (Tobey Maguire) would've managed to strike a balance between his devotion to M.J. (Kirsten Dunst) and his duties as a superhero. Instead he’s let fame spin a web around his head, blurring his vision of what really is important.

When he comes into contact with the symbiote, Peter and consequently Spider-Man change. They both become cocky and thoughtless. Dark.

As his superhero powers become more enhanced, Peter’s humanity is weakened. After getting some news about the real culprit behind his Uncle Ben’s murder, he begins to crave revenge, and our hero further loses control.

Forced to choose between the seductive powers his new suit affords him and the compassionate hero and person he used to be, Peter must overcome his personal demons as the Sandman (Thomas Haden Church) and Venom (Topher Grace) threaten him and everyone he loves. And, thus, he also must make peace with Harry, a.k.a. the New Goblin (James Franco).

So – is Spider-Man 3 worth your while? Well, yes, of course it is; it’s a thrill. But will it disappoint you? I guess it depends on your definition of disappointment. Technically, the movie’s incredible, yet the story, which has been building for two movies now, comes to a somewhat anticlimactic conclusion.

Still, I’d happily see Spider-Man 4, should it ever come to be. But in my mind, the amazing Spider-Man saga has come to what could be a most satisfying, leave-them-wanting-more sort of end.

My Rating ***

Photo: Columbia Pictures.

So Long My Girls

Word from Stars Hollow, make that Hollywood, actually, is that this season of one of the most beloved TV shows on schedule, Gilmore Girls, will be its last.

As a late arrival to the fast-talking, super amusing, zeitgeist-conscious party that is…was…the show, I cannot help but feel a bit blue.

But oy with the blues already – I’m going to enjoy the final episodes as much as I can, as I wait for Luke and Lorelai (Lauren Graham) to reunite, and for Rory (Alexis Bledel) to move on to the new chapter of her life.

At least I still have Veronica Mars to get me through Tuesday nights. I better do.

Photo: CW56.com (Gilmore Girls).

Reunite, Already!

The Spice Girls are such teases.

Last month, Baby (Emma Bunton), Posh (Victoria Beckham), and Sporty (Melanie Chisholm) attended the christening of Geri Halliwell’s, a.k.a. Ginger, baby girl, Bluebell Madonna.

Now comes word – and photographic evidence – that the girls, sans Mel C but with Scary (Melanie Brown), got together again last night in London to celebrate America bound David Beckham’s 32nd birthday.

The Girls sure are acting chummy these days, which is great because, you will remember, they were said to have parted ways on bad terms a few years ago. I really hope this means a reunion is imminent.

Just “Say You’ll Be There,” won’t you, Girls.

Photo: Board.VeryCD.com.

Diddy’s Doing It

Never thought I’d say this – gasp! – but damn if I’m not liking Diddy’s music these days.

Here I was thinking his “Tell Me,” featuring Christina Aguilera, from his Press Play, was just a fluke, when, whoop, there it is, the artist formerly known as P. Diddy, formerly known as Jennifer Lopez’s ex, formerly known as Puff Daddy, comes out with another hit single (“Last Night,” featuring Keyshia Cole).

What do you say: Does Diddy finally have It…as a performer?

Photo: BN.com.

J’adore!

In the upcoming Paris, Je T'aime, Alfonso Cuarón, Wes Craven, and Alexander Payne, among others, direct a splendid international cast that includes Steve Buscemi, Ben Gazzara, Marianne Faithful, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Natalie Portman, Gena Rowlands, Leonor Watling, and Li Xin, through a series of 20 short love stories based in each of the arrondissements in the French capital.

It sounds like a très charmant little concept, doesn’t it.

You can see the trailer for Paris, Je T’aime here.

Photo: LinternAute.com.

Oh, MTV – Didn’t Awards Season Just End?

300 and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest lead the nominations for the 2007 MTV Movie Awards with five and four nods apiece.

Yep, it’s time to have some mindless summer awards fun.

Both films have been nominated for the Best Movie award, alongside Blades of Glory, Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, and Little Miss Sunshine.

The rest of the nominations include:

Best Performance: Gerard Butler (300), Johnny Depp (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest), Keira Knightley (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest), Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls), Beyoncé Knowles (Dreamgirls), and Will Smith (The Pursuit of Happyness).

Breakthrough Performance: Emily Blunt (The Devil Wears Prada), Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine), Lena Headey (300), Columbus Short (Stomp the Yard), Jaden Smith (The Pursuit of Happyness), and Justin Timberlake (Alpha Dog).

Best Comedic Performance: Emily Blunt (The Devil Wears Prada), Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan), Will Ferrell (Blades of Glory), Adam Sandler (Click), and Ben Stiller (Night at the Museum).

Best Kiss: Cameron Diaz and Jude Law (The Holiday), Will Ferrell and Sacha Baron Cohen (Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby), Columbus Short and Meagan Good (Stomp the Yard), Mark Wahlberg and Elizabeth Banks (Invincible), and Marlon Wayans and Brittany Daniel (Little Man).

For a complete list of nominees, and to vote, click here.

Photo: 20th Century Fox (Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan).

Why Conan O’Brien Rocks

Generally, I think Tyra Banks is alright…but that’s it.

But now, thanks to the sexiest man on television – because he’s just so funny – Conan O’Brien, I think Banks just might be a little more than alright.

Granted, she was the one who had a pretty cool anecdote to tell her host on an episode of Late Night with Conan O’Brien last week – and she was the one who didn’t shy away from a little show and tell involving what can only be described as several...booty thrusts.

But I saw this on O’Brien’s show, therefore he rocks, OK. You can always count on him to make anyone seem all the more likeable.

Well, done, Mr. O'Brien. You didn't make Tyra Banks the booty of the joke; you let her have the last laugh.

Photo: TV.Yahoo.com.

When Did Fergie Become Such a Joke?

First Alanis Morissette paid homage to the Black Eyed Peas’ “My Humps.”

Now two Miami girls – I think they’re from Miami – have gone and come up with a fraktastically hilarious take on “Fergalicious.”

I’ll be the first to admit that I often have thought that Fergie’s like, the poor man’s Gwen Stefani. Kind of like how Nicollette Sheridan’s the poor man’s Kim Cattrall, who’s like, the poor man’s Sharon Stone.

But the girl is as sweet as pie – and, really, she’s doing her own thing, and doing it quite well.

Perhaps it’s not the most original thing, but who’s original anymore, anyway? At least she has her own style, which is more than a lot of starletbots and pop tarts ever could say.

Not for nothing, but every time she comes around, my London, London bridge, wanna go down. And I likey.

Photo: RollingStone.com.

Nostalgia, Pt. 10

So I’m working here, working 9 to 5, what a way to make livin', huh, and a friend hands me her iPod thingy, and what do I find?

Sinéad frakkin’ O’Connor, that’s what.

Talk about going back a looong time, or – coincidence? – almost exactly, “seven hours and fifteen days / since you took your love away.”

I tell you, sometimes, life just has a good ol’ laugh at my expense. Keeps me on my toes, at least.

Photo: Observer.Guardian.co.uk.

Dress You Up

How It is this T-shirt at right? It is It, It, It, I tell ya, so get one in every style and every color. Now. Between the shirts I’m about tell you all about, the new Robin Thicke CD, and a bunch of concerts and movies on schedule, I have my summer essentials all lined up.

Miami Beach designer Paul Jacober has reinvented the T-shirt. Yeah, you probably didn’t know this was possible, but then again you’re reading this and not designing anything, so what do you know.

I’m feeling very Nicole Richie on The Simple Life – I just had two chocolate brownies; not that she would – so go with it.

Seriously, though, the T-shirt, one of the world’s most iconic fashion statements, has gotten the Miami treatment courtesy of Jacober. He recently launched his own label of graphic tees – simply named paul jacober; do you love it? – initially turning to Miami Beach for inspiration.

“It just bothered me that there were no cool shirts that represented the great hotels in town…the beach – they’re all horrible,” he said. “So I set out to immortalize some of the architecture here in an effortlessly cool manner, placing the imagery off-center in an abstract sort of way.”

Jacober combined these landmarks in his first Florida Series of T-shirts with oversized flower and trompe l’oeil ocean imagery, creating colorful slices of Miami living on soft cotton crew- and V-neck tees.

His second collection – a darker and grittier Davie line inspired by a Bruce Weber portfolio – combined horses and jockeys, oranges, skulls, 18-wheelers, and fast cars and motorcycles. His most recent collection – The Never Mind Roses Series – will be available soon, and is a salute to many things British (think Union Jacks on Victorian toile; it’s that sexy).

“You can wear my shirts during the day at the beach or out and about, or underneath a blazer to dinner at night,” he said. “They’re cool and they’re fun.”

Fun, they are. Yeah, I like when people design T-shirts; I think it’s kind of cool. And I love it.

Photo: PaulJacober.com.

Here, Doggy, Doggy, Doggy

Mike – screenwriter of The Good Girl and School of Rock – White’s Year of the Dog is what I would call a journey film. A sweet, quirk-filled journey film. A sweet, quirk-filled, how-did-it-get-here? journey film. It is Homeward Bound, except it is a person who is finding her way in this one.

The film begins by quickly introducing us to Peggy (Molly Shannon), an – and I say this quite reluctantly – unremarkable woman who is truly, madly, deeply in love with her beagle Pencil.

She loves this cute-as-a-button dog with every fiber of her being, and he loves her back. It’s pretty obvious that Pencil gives Peggy’s life meaning – her brother lives a Stepford Life with his sunny, yet detached wife (Laura Dern), and she doesn’t have that many friends other than her full-of-life co-worker Layla (Regina King) – so it’s a blow of epic proportions when little bugger dies.

The devastating tragedy sends a grief-stricken Peggy on a downward spiral. Her support system isn’t the strongest, so Peggy soon finds solace in…fanatical animal activism.

High jinks and a great deal emotion are at the core of Year of the Dog, which is why it triumphs. And Shannon, peeling off a layer of her persona, anchors the film with a charismatic and sympathetic performance that is just fantastic.

I did feel the film meandered a little, though, as it journeyed to find its and Peggy’s way back home…to a fitting resolution. But like a good, good boy, it did, which is what matters most.

My Rating ***

Photo: Paramount Vantage.

Hell Hath No Fury

There is nothing I like more than pop stars who sing about getting even – mostly because I never.

Wouldn’t it be cool to be able to really go ahead and slash a hole “in all 4 tires” as Carrie Underwood sings her alter ego did in “Before He Cheats”? I think it would be so liberating, so badass.

Then again – aw, shucks – it also would be kind of wrong, but just thinking about it makes me…well, it makes me “Smile.”

After all, although I don't want to think about it, don't want to talk about it because I'm just so sick about it, “What Goes Around Comes Around,” do you know what I mean.

And really, holding on to the deliciously wicked high of just thinking about it can be great. If anything, at least you can sing to it. And that is more useful than a roll of nickels – even if sometimes you wish you still had a roll of nickels.

Who cares if this makes any sense. I’ve noticed pop stars are telling people off left and right, and that is a good thing. It’s called living vicariously. It’s healthy, and it’s fun. So, heck, I will (think about it) if I want to.

It can even be playful. I mean, hey hey, you you, “Girlfriend” is like, my new anthem.

Photo: About.com.

Summer’s Heating Up

Rosie O'Donnell will be leaving The View this June, so I know of at least one person whose summer schedule has freed up considerably, which is a good thing – considering the slew of movies coming our way.

Spider-Man 3, Shrek the Third, and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End will headline what is sure to be a blockbuster summer for Hollywood.

Among the other films waiting to lure audiences out to theaters will be another set of part 3s (Ocean's Thirteen, The Bourne Ultimatum, and Rush Hour 3), as well as a part 5 (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix), a part 4 (Live Free or Die Hard), and two part 2s (Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, and Evan Almighty).

Also worthy of attention will be Georgia Rule, Waitress (which I cannot wait to recommend), Year of the Dog, Ratatouille, The Simpsons Movie, Transformers, and Michael Moore's Sicko.

Photo: Universal Pictures (Evan Almighty).

Nostalgia, Pt. 9

Tapestry and dinner.

Photo: BN.com.

25 – and We Love It

It’s almost hard to believe – yet oh-so-easy, after all – but it was 25 years ago on April 24, 1982, that Sire Records honcho Seymour Stein released a single called “Everybody” on Warner Bros. Records by an unknown singer from Rochester, Mich., by the name of Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone.

“To say the world would never be the same is an understatement,” said Madonna’s publicist, Liz Rosenberg, in a press release today.

The song went on to become a huge dance floor hit, and was heard all over the radio in the summer of ’82.

Madonna would go on to become one of the most famous entertainers and cultural icons in history – the undisputed Queen of Pop, no less – selling close to 200 million records, and remaining a star of enormous magnitude and influence for the next 25 years.

And she's just getting started – and for that I say, dance and sing, get up, and do your thing for 25 more years.

Photo: FashionTrendSetter.com.

Snuff Hotel

Things go from bad to worse in Vacancy, a brutal game of cat and mouse starring Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale as on-the-outs married couple David and Amy Fox.

When the Foxes’ car breaks down in the middle of nowhere, they are forced to spend the night at the only motel in the vast creepiness of They’re-really-going-to-wish-they-weren’t-hereville.

With only the TV to entertain them, and a few beyond disturbing videotapes of snuff films the couple soon discovers offer an ominous look at what lies ahead for them – because said films were all filmed in the very room in which…they...are – David and Amy must struggle to get out of there alive before whomever is watching them can finish their latest masterpiece.

What follows is nearly 90 minutes of edge-of-your-seat, nail-biting…stress.

As much a suspenseful thriller Vacancy is, it also is rather stressful. It really hits a nerve, and it’ll make you think twice about your accommodations from now on. But the movie works, in spite of its claustrophobic vibe, as a great don’t-you-f----with-us-fellas exercise in survivorship.

Wilson remains a grounding presence, while Beckinsale (in for her leading man’s Family Stone co-star Sarah Jessica Parker, who bowed out before production started) provides the necessary combination of beauty and girl power that’ll make you root for the Foxes until the very end.

All and all, Vacancy is worth checking out…if you enjoy this type of fare.

My Rating ***

Photo: Screen Gems.

If He’s Giving It, Then I’m Taking It

An ultimatum, that is. A Bourne ultimatum.

Matt Damon is back this summer in not one, but two part 3s. The first is June 8’s Ocean’s Thirteen; the second, and the one I look forward to the most, is The Bourne Ultimatum, due out Aug. 3.

All Jason Bourne wanted was to disappear. Instead, he now is hunted by the people who made him what he is.

Having lost his memory and the one person he loved, Bourne is undeterred by a barrage of bullets and a new generation of highly-trained killers. He has only one objective: To go back to the beginning and find out whom he was.

Now, in the new chapter of this espionage series, he will hunt down his past in order to find a future. He will travel from Africa to all over Europe and, finally, to New York City as he continues his quest to find the real Jason Bourne.

Want to preview what’s in store for this final chapter of the Bourne saga? Then frakkin' click here, already.

Photo: Universal Pictures.

Viva La Fey

I’m giddy – giddy, I tell you – with excitement now that former “bubble” TV show 30 Rock has been renewed for a second season this fall, for I love me some Tina Fey, and, more than everything, I love me some Tina Fey-esque writing.

Take last night’s beyond quotable episode for instance.

Fey’s Liz Lemon and Jane Krakowski’s Jenna have taken guest star Emily Mortimer’s character Phoebe to lunch, to better get to know her now that she’s engaged to Alec Baldwin’s Jack Donaghy.

The three ladies are sitting at the table, and then Jenna – good ol’ reliably, outrageously funny Jenna – says:

“How Sex and the City are we right now? I’m Samantha, [pointing to Phoebe] you’re Charlotte, [pointing to Liz] and you’re the lady at home who watches it.”

How brilliant is that?

I just hope the show can find its rightful audience this summer, be it through reruns, online streaming, or a prompt DVD release. And, of course, that it won’t be negatively impacted by Baldwin’s latest no-no.

Photo: EW.com.

Simply Irresistible, Pt. 14

Oh, Macy Gray: “Here is my confession.”

I heart you so, but I don’t know why exactly.

Is it your incomparably raspy voice? Your kooky style? The way you sing of the things I sometimes feel deep inside, as you do in your latest, “Finally Made Me Happy,” a track from your latest CD, BIG?

Whatever it is, it is working. So don’t go away again. “Though I try to hide it it's clear / My world crumbles when you are not near.”

Photo: BN.com.

Simply Irresistible, Pt. 13

I’ve already mentioned how very much I’m into Robin Thicke, but when I found this clip of him performing “Shooter” last December I knew it was too good an opportunity to pass up.

And so I’m telling you, this guy is the real thing.

So give it a listen, put your hands up, your hands up, and enjoy.

Photo: MaximumFun.org.

A Touch of Pink

Madonna may have an army, but Pink is the one who currently is calling the shots, in my humble opinion.

Humble – tee hee.

Just to clarify, though, I know this soon will change, for you should never, ever count the Queen of Pop out: Confessions on a Dance Floor still is in constant rotation in my CD player, and sections of the tour mounted to support it are a daily DVD must watch. Plus, she's working on new album, so it's only a matter of time until she reinvents herself once more. And I love it.

But I want to tell you about Pink today, whom I’m glad to see is very much Not Dead.

Really, who would’ve guessed that the badass singer would enjoy, of all things, radio play more than year after the release of her last album?

“Stupid Girls” was a fun, cheeky single, but it went away fairly quickly. Her impassionate “Dear Mr. President” received great buzz, but I have yet to hear it, and her “Who Knew” only registered when I saw the previews for the new ABC show October Road.

So I think it is beyond swell that her catty and fun – and, yes, empowered – “U + Ur Hand” is burning radio up these days. Here’s a song that gays and girls and can support fully; sorry guys.

Pink’s so not here for our entertainment…yet I’m still having a lot of fun with her.

Photo: BN.com.

Grind It Good

Alright – clearly there’s plenty wrong in the world.

There’s a senseless war going on, there’s tragedy and nastiness everywhere.

Some people might not want to spend more than three hours in a movie theater watching T&A and violent scenes…not even if directors Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino had a hand at creating not one but two full-length movies in a new horror double feature called Grindhouse for their entertainment.

But then again, whatever it was that turned audiences away and made Grindhouse a disappointment at the box office…whatever it was, it is everywhere. So what gives?

Why would you, person who has yet to see Grindhouse, eschew this original and out there and entertaining offering in favor of…in favor of the real world. Why wouldn’t you want to escape into an absurd world of zombies, one-legged strippers, and speed-crazed mass murderers?

At least you’d know they aren’t real.

But hey, I get it. This film is a tough sell: Its cast isn’t that much of a draw; its length is a challenge; its subject matter not much of a turn-on – all of which is precisely the point and the beauty of it. But a tough sell is a tough sell, and unfortunately some of you aren’t buyin’.

In Rodriguez's Planet Terror, two doctors (Josh Brolin and Marley Shelton) find their graveyard shift inundated with townspeople ravaged by sores. Among the wounded is Cherry (Rose McGowan), a dancer whose leg was ripped from her body. As the invalids quickly become enraged aggressors (zombies!), Cherry and her ex-boyfriend Wray (Freddy Rodriguez) lead a team of accidental warriors into the night.

In Tarantino's Death Proof, Austin's hottest DJ, Jungle Julia (Sydney Poitier), sets out to unwind with her two friends, Shanna (Jordan Ladd) and Arlene (Vanessa Ferlito). Covertly tracking their moves is Stuntman Mike (Kurt Russell, in full ominous mode), a scarred rebel leering from behind the wheel of his muscle car, revving just feet away.

Planet Terror is the most effectively grindhouse-y of the two movies: It tries to be bad, and it has this camp quality to it that makes it completely amusing. You’ll be hard-pressed to think this truly was a loser, though.

Death Proof, meanwhile, is the talkiest of the two – and that’s a good thing. Where Planet Terror was a constant assault of the senses, Death Proof was a little more conventional…a little less gorror (that’s gore and horror, by the way)...a little more cerebral. And I cannot – and will not – say anything about the final car chase, mostly because you have to see it to believe and enjoy it.

So there you have it. Don’t wait for Grindhouse to come to a video store next you. Don’t buy the largest soda in the theater, sit back, and try to have a good time. It’ll be well worth it.

Go….get it, too.

My Rating ****

Photo: Dimension Films.

Guess Who’s Scrubbing In

Alright – I’m jealous.

Not that TVGuide.com’s Michael Ausiello and I are on the same level, but come on: Must one guy get all the cool people to talk to him?

Ausiello recently had the chance to interview my favorite fickle pickle, Keri Russell, on the occasion of her upcoming two-episode stint on TV’s Scrubs, which starts April 26.

Russell dished about her arc on the show, marriage, the bun in her oven, co-starring alongside Tom Cruise in last year’s Mission: Impossible III, a possible return to television, and her forthcoming films, Waitress and August Rush.

Phew. Sounds like a whole lot of goodness to me.

Photo: Paramount Pictures (Mission: Impossible III).

Is Lindsay Lohan…Getting It?

EW.com reported last week that the erstwhile Mean Girl “can't wait to delve into the drug-addled world director Chris Sivertson is creating for his next movie, which is currently titled Hippy.”

Lohan and Sivertson first worked together on the upcoming I Know Who Killed Me. Hippy also would co-star Marc Senter…who co-stars in the recently completed thriller as well.

When asked if this Lohan/Sivertson/Senter connection could be a new Scorsese-like Hollywood clique in the making, the actress is reported to have said, “I'm all for it. Not that I wouldn't love to work with Scorsese also.'”

Sounds like someone finally has gotten a hold on herself.

Yay.

Photo: EW.com.

Curiosity Thrills

Behold the power of Shia LaBeouf: The former Disney child star and new F.O.S. – that’s Friend of Spielberg – carried Disturbia to the top of the box office over the weekend.

Not bad for a star whose ability to open a movie was rather unproven (Holes and Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle don’t count). Not bad at all.

I have to say, though, I was surprised to see Disturbia hit the way it did. I would’ve told you about it last week, but to be honest I was kind of otherwise occupied. So, I’ll keep this short and sweet: This take on Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window for the teen set is perfectly fine for a lazy, rainy afternoon.

It is a bit longer than it should be – the buildup seems to take forever – but the suspense, once it sets in, is quite thrilling.

LaBeouf plays Kale, a good boy gone kind of bad following a freak traffic accident that claimed the life of his father. (By the way, when I say “freak traffic accident” I mean it – you’ll want to close your eyes.) A year later, sullen and troubled, Kale finds himself under a court-ordered sentence of house arrest.

When the walls of his house begin to close in on him, he becomes a voyeur, his interests turning outside the windows of his suburban home toward those of his neighbors, one of whom Kale suspects is a dangerous serial killer.

Are his concerns merely the product of cabin fever, or is good ol’ next-door neighbor a cold-blooded murderer?

Visit Disturbia and find out. And then take a look-see at this SNL intimate moment with John Mayer and Jessica Simpson to take the edge off – it’s a good laugh.

My Rating ***

Photo: DreamWorks Pictures.

Oh, Mandy!

Mandy Moore recently told Elle magazine that she considers herself a “mediocre” singer and actress.

Darling, I can’t take a week off – did anyone…notice? – without you going fishing for compliments. You could never be mediocre. Not even if you tried.

Now, when does your new album, Wild Hope, drop: May 8, as previously announced, or June?

I’m confused. And I want it.

Photo: CandiStar.com.

Much Like at the End of Closer

“Cold, cold water surrounds me now.”

Photo: Columbia Pictures.

Open Grindhouse; Few Come

Bad-boy directors Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez’s ambitious double feature Grindhouse didn’t pack audiences in during its first weekend of release.

The three-and-a-quarter hour film – a package of two movies (Rodriguez's zombie thriller Planet Terror, which features Rose McGowan as a machine gun-legged badass, and Tarantino's slasher picture Death Proof) honoring the low-budget horror movies of the 1970s – opened at No. 4 with three-day ticket sales of just $11.6 million.

It was expected it to hit the $20 million level.

"Are we disappointed about the gross?" Dimension Films co-chairman Harvey Weinstein told Reuters. "I'd be lying to you if I said I wasn't. I am disappointed."

Critics raved, but moviegoers evidently were not interested in checking out Grindhouse, opting to give the Will Ferrell ice-skating comedy Blades of Glory a second weekend at the top with sales of $23 million.

The funny thing about that is I haven’t seen either movie, and if I had gone to the movie theater I probably would’ve seen Blades of Glory (I am just dying to see Amy Poehler in it) – although I definitely will check out Grindhouse before they pull it out of rotation.

But first…first I need to make things better.

Photo: Dimension Films.

Time to Think

Click here if you don’t believe.

Photo: Wikipedia.org.

Feuding No More

Putting an end to years of rumors, probably because at least one of them was tired of rumors starting, it seems Hilary Duff and Lindsay Lohan are – gasp! – Hollywood’s newest BFF.

Cool, huh?

It seems like, so yesterday that these two couldn’t even be in the same room together.

Case in point is the Vanity Fair cover they graced a few years back, in which Duff (fifth from left) and Lohan (first from right) appeared...with a safe Who’s Who of up-and-comers acting as a nicely polished buffer.

Photo: q8castle.com.

Catfight Alert

On tonight’s episode of Lost, titled “Left Behind,” Kate (Evangeline Lilly) is left to fend for herself in the jungle with Juliet (Elizabeth Mitchell).

A catfight ensues.

Oh, and Sawyer (Josh Holloway) baby-sits for Claire (Emilie de Ravin)

Is it 10 o'clock yet?

Photo: Gallery.Lost-Media.com.

Just Because, Pt. 2

“Tell your mother, your brother, your sister, and your friends. /

And the others, your lovers, better not be present tense. /

‘Cause I want everyone to know that you are mine and no one else's! /

Ain't no other man, can stand up next to you /

Ain't no other man on the planet does what you do (what you do).”

Photo: BreathOfFreshInk.com.

Simply Irresistible, Pt. 12

Matthew Goode’s so the cat’s pajamas he’s the dog’s tuxedo.

The British import may have been in only a few high profile movies (including Chasing Liberty opposite Mandy Moore, or Woody Allen’s underappreciated Match Point), but he’s certainly noteworthy, not to mention easy on the eyes.

He currently co-stars in The Lookout, playing a dangerous charmer. Check it out.

Photo: Men.Style.com.

Alanis Got “Humps”

Is this a riot or what?

My, but it’s Alanis Morissette…doing a version of the Black Eyed Peas’ “My Humps.”

That’s hot.

I didn’t know that’s what you’re supposed to do when you break up with a stud.

Photo: RollingStone.com.

Beautiful Rat

After a weekend that at times had me on the verge of a Julianne Moore-in-Magnolia-style meltdown (c’était rien que la douleur exquise), I was happy to see things turn around – alright, they already had turned around – after I watched the trailer for the upcoming Ratatouille.

It’s the little things, you know.

The new Pixar film follows Remy, a young rat living within the walls of a famous Paris bistro, who wishes to become a chef, but is hindered by his family's skepticism and the bistro’s rat-despising staff and patrons.

Ratatouille sneaks into theaters on June 29. Check out the trailer here.

Photo: Disney/Pixar.