The first thousand times I saw Adolf Hitler shout “Nine! Nine! Nine! Nine! Nine!” followed by Brad Pitt’s “Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes!” during TV commercials for Quentin Tarantino’s Nazi-killing summer blockbuster Inglourious Basterds, I didn’t even notice that “Bastards” is spelled wrong and that “Inglorious” has an extra “u”. The second thousand times I saw the trailer for the still unrated movie, I started fantasizing about going into the Tarantino killing business. I’m well into my third thousandth viewing of this movie ad, which ranges from 30 seconds to two minutes depending on whether you’re watching cable or commercial TV or the Internet, and the disturbing thing is that I’m bound to see it at least 5K times before this movie opens in theaters on August 21. It’s everywhere, this trailer. And the more I see the trailer the less I want to see the movie. [Read more →]

Tags: movies by Clark DeLeon
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Funny People is a movie where the best part of the movie really isn’t in the movie. I’ll explain. For the film, the standup comic Aziz Ansari created the character of the standup comic Randy (or, as he prefers to say it, Raaaaaaaandy!), who manages to utilize virtually every gimmick comedians find hacky in other comedians (including relentlessly dropping catch phrases, constantly dancing around the stage, and refusing to write jokes that don’t involve oral sex) with some new tricks of his own (Randy is the first comedian to have his own DJ, who punctuates punch lines with sound effects). Aziz then collaborated on “documentaries” about the character, all available at the web site laughyourdickoff.com–Randy opens his act by asking, “Who’s ready to laugh their dick off?!?–where we learn that Randy likes breasts, dislikes what’s going on in Darfur, and met his DJ at a dentist (where Old Youngin’ was a hygienist busy “WORKIN’ ON THEM TEETH!”), creating a tremendous anticipation for the character even before the movie opened. [Read more →]

Tags: art & entertainment by Sean Cunningham
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“You should know up front, this is not a love story,” a lugubrious voice intones at the start of (500) Days of Summer.  I had been anxious to see this film since viewing the first trailer, and this seemed a promising start.  (500) Days of Summer has some great gimmicks and many enjoyable moments, as it takes a fresh look at the course of a relationship. But the relationship between Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and Summer (Zooey Deschanel) is ultimately not compelling enough to sustain the film and seems unworthy of such scrutiny. [Read more →]

Tags: Gail sees a movie, movies by Gail D. Rosen
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I’ve received a few messages about my lack of posts this summer and all I have to say is… I’m sorry! I’ve been summer busy and with the lack of scripted television and abundance of reality television, if you don’t watch the episode and write about it the night it airs, you fall behind. I was able to keep up with The Bachelorette because let’s be honest, it aired on Monday and I’m not that much fun. But I certainly have not been keeping close tabs on summer favorites such as Big Brother and So You Think You Can Dance. It doesn’t mean I’m not watching… so here’s what got me excited over the past few weeks: [Read more →]

Tags: Lauren Likes TV, television by Lauren LaBumbard
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I really enjoy bagpipe music. Groups like Flogging Molly, The Dropkick Murphys and The Pogues have a resonance with me.  On August 3rd I saw The Tartan Terrors perform at Musikfest. They were hysterical and awesome.

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Tags: fan boy says, music by Steve Mazzeo
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 When Adam Sandler and writer/director Judd Apatow were roommates and struggling comics, Sandler would entertain himself by making prank phone calls. Apatow found them so amusing that he videotaped them.  Funny People begins with this real footage, and then we see present day comic star George Simmons (Sandler) sadly watching his younger self.  Like the opening, Funny People is hilarious in parts and surprisingly moving.   Funny People‘s only flaw is that with a running time of two hours and twenty six minutes, it needs another edit.  However, Apatow gets excellent performances from the talented pals who often populate his films, and despite its length, this entertaining film is worth the ticket price and the time. [Read more →]

Tags: Gail sees a movie, movies by Gail D. Rosen
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I know you’re not supposed to formally review a play your friends class put on for a single performance at the end of a semester. But given all the blogging sh*t that goes, I feel I should point to something worthwhile. And The Peculiar City of Wholman Lunk is an excellent play from a rising talent.

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Tags: art & entertainment, fan boy says by Steve Mazzeo
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To begin, I apologize for lacking the umlauts needed to address this topic properly. I believe Da Ali G Show is the third best thing HBO’s given the world after The Sopranos and the first season of Flight of the Conchords. I’m a big fan of Borat, though I don’t think it compares to the highlights of the TV show. I thought Bruno was a complete waste of my time, even allowing for the fact I saw it at a bargain matinee screening for six bucks (by Manhattan standards, that qualifies as free). Why the diminishing returns from Sacha Baron Cohen, which apparently other people are also sensing since this movie looks to make half the money of its predecessor despite twice the initial hype? In no particular order:

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Tags: art & entertainment by Sean Cunningham
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One would think that the author of the international bestseller “Me and God” would have a better answer to a philosophical inquiry about the afterlife than “Hell is other people.” But reclusive author Arlen Faber (Jeff Daniels) is more misanthrope than spiritual guide, or so it seems.  While the plot of The Answer Man is a bit too predictable, the characters are quirky and likeable and the sparkling performances of leads Jeff Daniels and Lauren Graham are hard to resist. [Read more →]

Tags: Gail sees a movie, movies by Gail D. Rosen
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Strange visions can come to us late in the night. Yesterday I beheld a TV commercial that was so bizarre it felt like a dream.  The scene was as follows: a woman was travelling on the moving walkway in an airport, looking robust, cheerful and confident — rather like the heroine of a Soviet propaganda film. She passed under an image of her own face when suddenly another woman ran up to her and declared:

WOMAN: You’re the colon lady!

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Tags: health & medical, television by Daniel Kalder
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Ed. Surprise, surprise. Can you sense the sarcasm? Last night’s Bachelorette finale confirmed a few things for me:

1) Jillian Harris is THE worst kisser on the face of the Earth.

2) We know what Jillian is going to look like in 50 years… her Grandmother.

3) I thought I had seen Ed’s balls the first time he wore the shnorty shnorts. I definitely saw them last night.

4) Ed has a tank top to match his shnorts.

5) The Bachelorette is the most predictable show ever made and a complete waste of my time. [Read more →]

Tags: Lauren Likes TV, television by Lauren LaBumbard
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Evvery year tons of cool movies slip through the non-mainstream theaters unnoticed. Many of these movies are good, but have a narrower range of appeal than say Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. When I was an undergraduate back at Drexel I used to review those “Ritz” movies all the time. Now, if I see two a year I’m thrilled. Moon starring Sam Rockwell is one such movie. [Read more →]

Tags: fan boy says, movies by Steve Mazzeo
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Last night, I left NY and made my way to the event of all events, where anybody who’s anybody will be… San Diego Comic-Con, aka, Nerd Prom. Sweet. The best part of my journey so far? Being able to watch So You Think You Can Dance on my JetBlue flight. Not only did this entertain me for 2 hours on my 6+ hour flight, I got to enjoy it with mini bottles of water (I mean wine) and free baggies of cashews and 100 calorie Lorna Doone shortbread cookies (I mean Doritos Munchie mix and chocolate chip cookies). With no access to pause and FFW, I had to watch in full and it made me remember a few things:

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Tags: Lauren Likes TV, television by Lauren LaBumbard
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A 79-year-old woman is not the ideal guardian for three young children, particularly when she’s married to Joe Jackson. Yet Katherine Jackson gets the edge from most people over Debbie Rowe, just because Debbie has no biological connection to one of the children and no apparent interest in any of them, based on the fact in an email she poised the question to herself, “Do I want the kids?” and helpfully answered, “Hell no.” (Incidentally, may this serve as a reminder to all of us to ask, “Have I engaged in blatant self-incrimination in this email?” before hitting send.) With reports swirling that Debbie demanded the Jacksons give her an additional $4 million after deciding an initial settlement of a Beverly Hills mansion, a $5 million lump sum, and several annual payments of $900,000 weren’t enough compensation for what has already been a sensationally profitable uterus, the leaked emails reveal a new insight into Debbie: she’s a good friend. [Read more →]

Tags: art & entertainment by Sean Cunningham
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Last night’s Big Brother was shocking, NOT because of the following reasons:

1) Russell is a psycho-path and Lydia’s a big fat baby — Russell basically screamed at Lydia for no reason at all last night. That’s because he’s on steroids. But that’s no excuse for Lydia to break down into tears every time someone looks at her the wrong way. Even though you have 100 tattoos, most of which are of characters from Paul Frank and Hello Kitty, you are not tough at all. Grow a set or go home, you’re annoying everyone in America.

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Tags: Lauren Likes TV, television by Lauren LaBumbard
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As Professor Slughorn (Jim Broadbent) says to the advanced potions class, “Let the brewing commence.” And with that, Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and company are once again battling dark forces in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, based on the penultimate book in J.K. Rowling’s series. Harry and his friends are growing up and falling in love, Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) is still mentoring Harry and quidditch makes its long awaited return. Casual fans of the Potter film series (like me) will enjoy the darker story. It may not be the best in the series, but Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is fun and enjoyable. [Read more →]

Tags: Gail sees a movie, movies by Gail D. Rosen
2 Comments »

Apparently, I am not the only reader who thinks Jane Austen’s novels could use a little more excitement.  Last month, I reviewed Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, which I loved.  Today, via USA Today, I got the news that Quirk Productions is negotiating a movie deal for the surprise best seller!  And there are more monster novels on the way. [Read more →]

Tags: art & entertainment, books & writing, movies by Lisa Hura
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10. Saying, “Heeeeeeere’s St. Peter!”

9. Selling vegetable slicers on the boardwalk

8. Hosting the best Star Search ever! (Janis Joplin, Jimmy Hendrix, John Lennon, Elvis, Michael Jackson)

7. Following God around saying “Yes!” “You are correct, Sir!” and “Hi-ooooo!”

6. Ducking his ex-wives

5. Selling Alpo (since all dogs go to Heaven)

4. Sending people envelopes, with his picture on them, saying, “You may have already won a trip to Heaven!”

3. Cohosting Hell’s Bloopers and Practical Jokes

2. Swimming in a lake of Budweiser

1. Looking for Johnny
 

Bob Sullivan’s Top Ten Everything appears every Monday.

Tags: art & entertainment, Bob Sullivan's top ten everything, television by Bob Sullivan
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Everyone and their cousin had reviews out before I went to the midnight premier with a few thousand other people in King of Prussia. And the odds are you’re only reading the reviews to find out if your favorite scene from the book made it into the movie: my two favorites didn’t. The bottom line is everyone has made their opinions and decided whether or not to see Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Instead of driving home a series of points about why you should see it, I just want everyone to know that Harry Potter 6 reminded me of Star Wars Episode 5: The Empire Strikes Back.

WARNING: This post is full of spoilers.
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Tags: fan boy says, movies by Steve Mazzeo
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They say famous people die in threes. I do not know if that is necessarily true, but it does seem that they die in clusters. Usually three, four, or five famous people all die within a month or two of each other. Then, after all the tributes and remembrances, there are no new famous deaths for another half year or so. [Read more →]

Tags: art & entertainment, getting older by Robert O'Hara
2 Comments »