News

Patrick Stewart Officially Adds a ‘Sir’

Shannon Hassett :: Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010 12:30 pm

There are few people who had as strong of a grip on my youth as Jean-Luc Picard. My nanny was a trekkie, and as a result, many an afternoon was spent with that bald, commanding Brit acting as babysitter. And who better? Behind the fearless leader of the free world (and beyond) existed a sensitive sole, more apt for Shakespeare and the stage than heading a Starfleet. His heroes growing up were both knights (Sirs Laurence Olivier and John Gielgud) and he worked aside one in X-Men with Ian McKellan, so it’s about time Patrick Stewart was awarded the honor in his own right. Dedicating it to his English teacher Cecil Dormand, who encouraged him to take up acting and introduced him to Shakespeare as youngster, Patrick was very humble while accepting the title from the Queen at Buckingham Palace. Trouble imagining him outside the Enterprise? Check him out here in PBS’s recent rendition of “Hamlet”, alongside Dr. Who’s David Tennant.

Glee Gets Funky, Jane Lynch Gets Married

Shannon Hassett :: Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010 12:00 pm

While I am much more partial to the gloomy, nonmelodic depictions of high school as found in Freaks and Geeks and My So-Called Life (the one exception to this rule being the two Daria music specials), I must say, Glee could be a whole lot worse. It doesn’t go for groundbreaking, at least not in the lives of its characters, and their shallow melodramas thus seem justified when you realize that the emphasis of the whole thing is on the songs. But this isn’t really about Glee, it’s about Sue Sylvester, or the real life Jane Lynch, supporting actress and guaranteed comedic relief extraordinaire, who got married over Memorial Day weekend to psychiatrist Dr. Lara Embry in Sunderland, Massachusetts. It was small (21 guests), devoid of famous faces and Ms. Sylvester donned pants, which when you think about it, really just fills you with… glee.

Palin Fends Off Wilson… With a Fence, Of Course

Shannon Hassett :: Tuesday, June 1st, 2010 5:00 pm

As a former fan of Home Improvement, I’ve always wondered what happened to good old Wilson. Tim Allen’s career has certainly provided little mystery; there are only so many roles available after one grows rotund in that particularly spherical fashion, after all (these clearly being The Santa Clause 3 and a permanent return to voice overs as Buzz in Toy Story… 3). Al Borland appeared in Air Bud: Seventh Inning Fetch before dropping off the Earth, and JTT will forever remain the growth hormone deficient teen’s crown prince. But what of Wilson, and more importantly, that fence? MORE »

Sex and The City 2 Loses the Good Vibrations

Shannon Hassett :: Tuesday, June 1st, 2010 3:45 pm

Well Carrie, it’s not easy being Queen Bradshaw. There’s the series to live up to — remember, those six seasons full of witty dialogue, beautifully centered around our beloved Manhattan and chock full of Smith Jared- yeah, those. And then there was the first movie, which, while possessing more than its share of faults, at least put the necessary Mr. Big wedding to bed for good. (Spoiler Alert) MORE »

New Study Proves Calling Mom Relieves Stress: Duhhh

Shannon Hassett :: Thursday, May 13th, 2010 2:05 pm

This study is essentially good for one thing: making 23-year-old girls the world over feel way less guilty about still needing to double check with their mothers before making important decisions. We could take this in the direction of our generation’s prolonged childhood, which now extends well into the late twenties, but we won’t. This is about picking up the phone and calling your mom and feeling good about doing it. Ok? MORE »

Jenny Lewis Signs on for Brandon Flowers’ Flamingo

Shannon Hassett :: Thursday, May 13th, 2010 1:20 pm

Yes, yes, we all hate The Killers, but it’s that hate that stems from songs that are so damn catchy you can’t help liking them. Maybe. Just a little bit. Way deep down under that hardened, ultra hip exterior. So news of frontman Brandon Flowers’ upcoming solo album could be just the ticket out of our shame, propelling him to an indie platform all his own. While the details have remained rather scant (just as they should if he’s hoping to refashion himself outside the limelight), the singer recently revealed that the Las Vegas themed Flamingo will now include some help from Jenny Lewis, a fellow Sin City native. Production will be handled by recent Neil Young collaborator Daniel Lanois and Killers’ go-to Stuart Price, as well as Brendan O’Brien of Pearl Jam fame on three of the tracks.

M83 is Back for Gilles Marchand’s “Black Heaven”

Shannon Hassett :: Thursday, May 13th, 2010 1:00 pm

I’ve always felt M83’s music walks the poles; creepy or euphoric, but never background noise. And I can only imagine that’s sort of what it’s like when you fall in love with someone online, which makes Anthony Gonzalez’s upcoming score for Black Heaven (L’Autre Monde) beyond perfect. Director Gilles Marchand’s upcoming mystery flick, which is set to premiere at Cannes later this month, is the story of a man content in life and love until he is seduced by an online beauty, who finds her victims through her alias in an online game called Black Hole and then gets them to commit suicide in real life. Depressing, but with new M83 setting the mood, I’m sure it’s worth it (and maybe you’ll think twice about that Ok Cupid account you made last night). Check the jump for the official trailer. MORE »

Breaking Dawn Stars Ask Summit to Up the Ante

Shannon Hassett :: Tuesday, May 11th, 2010 3:30 pm

A movie is nothing without its cast, and that goes tenfold for a series. You are building a brand around your stars, as films have long since been the stuff of artistry or taste. Even when they did possess potential, the knowledge that your trilogy was only as good as its lead’s staying power was not lost on directors. Imagine Indiana Jones or Han Solo as anyone but Harrison Ford — you can’t — and that’s half the reason those movies have left such a lasting impression. We grow comfortable with the characters; we can predict their behavior and take pleasure in that familiarity. This is also why contracts exist, so even when the star grows sick of the role, they are legally bound to stick around for the full run of the films. MORE »

Playboy Gets Modern and Goes 3-D

Shannon Hassett :: Tuesday, May 11th, 2010 12:15 pm

If there were two things I had to guess didn’t suffer losses in times of economic depression, one would be alcohol and the other porn. I’m wrong about porn, and there’s no denying the publishing industry’s quickly approaching death, so when that porn is of the paginated variety, you’re faced with a double whammy.

Fortunately, Hugh Hefner has never been one to back down from a challenge, so reversing the drop from his magazine’s 3.5 million subscribers to 1.5 since 2006 requires nothing more than some straightforward logic. Hef simply asked himself the following question: “What would people most like to see in 3-D?” His answer? Take a wild guess, or better yet, pick up a copy of the June issue of Playboy, the first to feature a 3-D centerfold. MORE »

Matthew Carefully Leads Pack of Upstaters On the Move

Shannon Hassett :: Monday, May 10th, 2010 11:30 am

I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Upstate New York is not limited to its references in anti-Soda tax ads and its abundance of farms offering up goods at Green Market. There is a budding music scene, and while it may be a slower paced, more tightly knit and networked community of artists, concerned with the lives of their fans (who double as friends) over the fastest route to Pitchfork, this makes it all the better. MORE »

Artist Showcase to Raise Funds for L.E.A.D. Uganda

Shannon Hassett :: Monday, May 10th, 2010 11:00 am

Third City, New York, an organization that teams nonprofits, entertainment outlets, and corporations for philanthropic initiatives (and here you thought oil and water never mixed), is holding an artist showcase at Gallery Bar on May 19 at 7pm to raise money for L.E.A.D. Uganda. L.E.A.D. — founded by award winning photographer Stephen Shames — works to raise money for abandoned children in the country affected by AIDS, war and poverty. The showcase will feature work by Shyvonne, Moruf and Lions, Tigers and Bears, as well as a DJ set by All-En1. Third City continues its mission to teach Yuppies that giving some of that money to good causes does actually make them better people, and what finer way than art to disguise such philanthropy as intellectual consumerism? Head to Gallery Bar (120 Orchard St., NYC 10002) a week from this Wednesday for a great cause, great art, and of course, great cocktails. MORE »

Twilight’s Baby Brainwash: Jacob and Isabella Top Name List

Shannon Hassett :: Friday, May 7th, 2010 1:15 pm

I think I may have just thrown up in my mouth. The two most popular names for baby boys and girls this year were Jacob and Isabella. As in, Jacob and Isabella the two leading characters from “Twilight”. While Jacob may be unrelated to the Stephanie Meyer induced mayhem — it’s been the most popular name for boys in the U.S. for the past 11 years — Isabella made a meteoric rise from the top 1,000 in 1990 to the Top Ten in 2004 and now number one, ousting former front runner Emma into number two. If you’re still not convinced the trend has anything to do with “Twilight,” consider this: Cullen (Pattinson plays vampire Edward Cullen) was the fastest rising name this year, jumping from 782 to 485. I would have gone for Sookie myself, but with Nevaeh coming in at 34 (that’s Heaven spelled backwards), my tastes are clearly behind the rest of the country’s. MORE »

Kristen Stewart Confirms “On the Road”

Shannon Hassett :: Friday, May 7th, 2010 12:00 pm

I don’t know what’s worse: the thought of Robert Pattinson playing Cobain, or the latest headlines that Kristen Stewart is set to star as Marylou in the big screen adaptation of “On the Road.” I get the “Twilight” craze; it’s an hour and a half of sexual tension heightened by an attractive cast. But the book series was made for the movies, with its sappy dialogue and built in special effects faring better in film than on the page — that rare book that is bested by its cinematic counterpart. MORE »

Scorsese, Eat Your Heart Out: Metropolis Finally Restored

Shannon Hassett :: Thursday, May 6th, 2010 2:00 pm

Martin Scorsese is not the best thing that’s ever happened to film. I’m not talking in terms of the director’s personal resume, either; this is in reference to the growing spotlight on his work as a preservationist. Sure, he’s seen every movie there is to see and infuses this knowledge in his own work, but he can no longer claim the crown. That, my friends, now belongs to one Fernando Peña, an Argentine film archivist who has solved an 80-year search for the missing pieces of groundbreaking silent film “Metropolis.” MORE »

Kelly Clarkson’s New (Leaked) Single Sounds Awfully Familiar…

Shannon Hassett :: Wednesday, May 5th, 2010 3:30 pm

All the way back in 2007, Ted Leo did what he does best and put into song what the rest of us had known for months: Kelly Clarkson’s “Since You’ve Been Gone” is a blatant rip off of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ “Maps.” Now the stealing songstress is right back at it, taking some serious cues from the Arcade Fire’s “Rebellion (Lies)” with her new single “Naked Eye,” as noted by TwentyFourBit and Vulture. I have no patience for this sort of thing whatsoever, but at the very least, we’ll hopefully get a new Ted Leo mashup out of her thievery. MORE »