E! Update: Tatum O’Neal, Kung Fu Panda, Dancing Dog

Posted on June 2, 2008

Actress Tatum O’Neal, who wrote about her struggle with drug addiction in the 2005 autobiography, A Paper Life, has been arrested after buying crack cocaine near her Manhattan home. Publisher’s Weekly said this about the memoir: ‘Much of the book’s second half covers her fraught marriage to volatile tennis champ John McEnroe; these passages alternate between recollections of the pleasure of being in love and having children and the pain of living with McEnroe, whom she depicts as controlling and demeaning… She also zips through her recovery, abruptly claiming “rebirth” in the final chapter.’ Used copies of A Paper Life are available at Amazon.com. Going cheap.

Early reviews for the upcoming animated film, Kung Fu Panda, have been good. The Hollywood Reporter writes: ‘Though aimed primarily at youngsters, KF Panda embraces humor that plays well across age groups and nationalities. Certainly the sustained applause at its Palais debut here in Cannes bodes well for international box office success.’ Groucho Reviews notes: ‘DreamWorks Animation’s latest has the right stuff to make audiences laugh but also care about the film’s characters.’

This is amazing.  If you’ve ever wanted to see a dog dancing on its hind legs - backwards - check out this clip from Britain’s Got Talent 2008.  Judge Simon Cowell is stunned, and the audience gives this pooch a standing ovation!

P! Update: Scotty, Ricky, Hillary, Tory

Posted on May 30, 2008

 

Mother Jones is bitter about Scott McClellan’s new-found fame: ‘Excuse me if I’m resentful of the attention Scott McClellan, George W. Bush’s onetime presidential press secretary, is receiving for finally telling the obvious truth that the Bush White House deceived the public about the Iraq war. Though McClellan’s account has punch coming from an insider, he’s late to the party. Some of us made the case when it counted–back in 2002 and 2003, before the war was launched… ‘ (We always agree with Mother.)

Over at The Cynics’ Party it’s being noted that ‘Former George W. Bush supporter Ricky Martin, who memorably danced with the President at his inauguration in 2001, is throwing his support behind Hillary Clinton’s struggling campaign. Despite his past flirtations with the red-staters, Martin’s preference for Hillary makes sense since they are both 90’s relics and probably in the closet.’ (Meow.)

U.S. Republicans aren’t the only conservative politicians struggling to keep their heads above water. From The Canadian Press via CTV: ‘Public perceptions of integrity, accountability and economic stewardship are all taking a hit as the Harper Conservatives enter their third year in power, a new poll suggests. Overall satisfaction with the minority Tory government dropped 13 percentage points between December and May…’ (Ya think this is a trend?)

Fall Film Preview: The City of Ember

Posted on May 30, 2008

After the disappointment of last year’s The Golden Compass (and we really wanted to like that film) we’re hoping our expectations won’t be dashed with the October release of another fantasy novel adaptation, The City of Ember.

This HD trailer looks promising:

Here’s a plot summary from Amazon: ‘It is always night in the city of Ember. But there is no moon, no stars. The only light during the regular twelve hours of  ”day” comes from floodlamps that cast a yellowish glow over the streets of the city. Beyond are the pitch-black Unknown Regions, which no one has ever explored because an understanding of fire and electricity has been lost… Among the many other things the people of Ember have forgotten is their past and a direction for their future. For 250 years they have lived pleasantly, because there has been plenty of everything in the vast storerooms. But now there are more and more empty shelves–and more and more times when the lights flicker and go out, leaving them in terrifying blackness for long minutes. What will happen when the generator finally fails?’

The film’s stars include Bill Murray, Tim Robbins and the irrepressible Toby Jones.  We’re keeping fingers crossed for this one!  IMBD has more.  (While watching the trailer, see if you can spot a cast member from a popular CBS crime drama. You have to look quickly. The answer is here.)

The New and Improved Andromeda Strain

Posted on May 23, 2008

Early reviews for A&E’s updated version of Michael Crichton’s Sci-Fi thriller The Andromeda Strain have been mixed - but the Los Angeles Times reports that there’s some buzz about possible Emmy nominations.

The decades-old bestseller was made into an intriguing 1971 film by Oscar winner Robert Wise. The new mini-series, stretched to four hours, is produced by Hollywood heavies Ridley and Tony Scott, and stars Benjamin Bratt (Law & Order), Eric McCormack (Will and Grace) and Rick Schroder (NYPD Blue). In this re-telling of the story Schroder portrays a gay soldier, a character that wasn’t included in the 1969 novel. The main stream media hasn’t given that aspect of the production much play, but there’s an interesting write-up about it on AfterElton.com, complete with comments by scriptwriter Robert Schenkkan. Rumor has it that Crichton’s original ending, which left some readers scratching their heads, has been clarified. The storyline involves deadly pathogens unleashed on a small town in Utah, after the satellite carrying them falls to earth. The mini-series airs on A&E May 26 and 27, from 9-11PM ET.

We’ll be watching.

Zipper Exclusive: The Agony Column Reviews

Posted on May 22, 2008

It is an irony of human nature that the people who most often seek advice are the ones least likely to take it. Nevertheless, advice columns have been dispensing wisdom since the middle of the19th century when they were commonly called ‘agony’ columns. People have always enjoyed reading these gossipy screeds because they provide a fascinating (and blessedly brief) window into the lives of strangers. Ann Landers and Dear Abby are probably the two most recognized advice givers, appearing in thousands of newspapers daily, but advice columns in general have enjoyed a resurgence in popularity ever since the Internet broadcast that first bare breast to millions of mesmerized teenagers.

Below we’ve reviewed six of these popular online fonts of profundity so that now you’ll know where to find a disinterested opinion on that unfaithful lover, overbearing boss, or nosy neighbor. (Rated one out of five stars.)

Dear Prudence - Emily Yoffe’s columns can be addicting. Her advice on ‘manners and morals’ is both clever and perceptive. I wish I could say the same for the animated videos that occasionally accompany them. Lose the vids, Slate, or hire better animators. ****

Dear Mrs. Web - Dreary and provincial, Mrs. Webb offers unimaginative advice to equally unimaginative questioners. There’s a ‘clippings’ section where her website is praised by the right-wing nuts at  World Net Daily. That alone should tell you where her buns are buttered. Progressives beware. **

Since You Asked - Cary Tennis at Salon is probably the most reflective adviser of the bunch. The letters he receives are long and published without any apparent editing - and his responses can be even longer! But Mr Tennis always tackles readers’ queries in a thoughtful and amusing manner. *****   

Savage Love - Rude, crude and often hysterical (in both senses of the word), Dan Savage counsels folks with sexual problems and hang-ups. Although the probers’ questions would make a Portuguese sailor blush, Dan’s responses - equally raw - contain enough humor to render them entertaining.  ****

Dear Uncle Ezra - This column is part of the Cornell Information Network. Although the questioners are mainly attendees of that university, Ezra’s levelheaded advice should appeal to students everywhere. ***

Ask Dog - While ‘Dog’s’ advice isn’t absolutely meritless, his attempts at humor feel strained and sophmorish, which is probably appropriate since his fan base seems comprised of middle schoolers. (And the cadence of their sentences is suspiciously like the columnist’s.)  **  

David Cook Wins American Idol 7

Posted on May 21, 2008

E! Update: Ashlee Pete Married, MJ In Vegas, Dolly Furious

Posted on May 18, 2008

- Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz were married on Saturday.

- After Michael Jackson was bailed out of a foreclosure on his Neverland Ranch, rumors suggest he may be planning a Las Vegas show: “Jackson prevented a foreclosure sale on his sprawling Santa Barbara ranch earlier this month when New York-based private equity group Colony Capital agreed to take over his debt on the property.”

- Dolly Parton is furious at Howard Stern for making sexual a racist sound bites from one of her audio books: “I cannot believe what Howard Stern has done to me. In a blue million years, I would never have such vulgar things come out of my mouth. They have done editing or some sort of trickery to make this horrible, horrible thing. Please accept my apology for them and certainly know I had nothing to do with this.”

- Janet Jackson is going on tour with Madonna and Tina Turner.

- David Gritten has an early review of Indiana Jones and The Crystal Skull: “It’s not that Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, exhumed after 19 years to be the fourth in this series, is bad, exactly. But it’s undeniably creaky.”

Ellen DeGeneres To Marry Portia De Rossi

Posted on May 17, 2008

Here’s the video of Ellen announcing her intention to marry long-time companion, Portia de Rossi. The announcement comes after the California Supreme Court overturned the states ban on same-sex marriage.

E! Update: Jodie Foster Break Up

Posted on May 14, 2008

- Jodie Foster and Cydney Bernard have ended their 14-year relationship: “The split comes just four months after Miss Foster broke her silence about the relationship, which was long an open secret in movie circles.”

- Angelina Jolie is pregnant again with twins.

- Britney Spears hit another car: “Spears, 26, was at the wheel of her white Mercedes-Benz SL65 when she left her Studio City home for an afternoon drive. Shortly thereafter, she rear-ended the SUV.”

- Madonna is opening a girls’ school in Malawi. It will be similar in size and scale to a similar project by Oprah Winfrey. What about the boys?

Maroon 5 Ft. Rihanna - If I Never See Your Face Again

Posted on May 13, 2008

New video from Maroon 5 featuring Rihanna, “If I Never See Your Face Again“.

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