TV: Can Mischa be a "Gossip Girl"?

It was bound to happen. Last year, Josh Schwartaz, creator of "The O.C.", gave a guest starring role to Rachel Bilson, a former O.C.er, in one of his new shows "Chuck." So it was only a matter of time before he gave another one of his O.C.ers some face time on his other writing job, "Gossip Girl." Unfortunately, it seems that Mischa Barton just might've drawn the lucky straw.

Even though she's done 5 movies since The O.C.'s last season in 2006, I bet none of you can name one of them. Right after she left the show, she did the indie The OH in Ohio, which got horrible reviews. Then she did the unreleased dramatic indie Closing the Ring with Gregory Smith ("Everwood"), the UK film St. Trinian's with Colin Firth and new Bond girl Gemma Arterton, the romantic dramedy Virgin Territory with Hayden Christensen that doesn't even have a US release date yet, and the teen comedy Assassination of a High School Principal with Bruce Willis that'll be out in August.

She just wrapped filming the horror film Walled In, the sure to be shitastic lesbian romance You and I (Finding tATu) which takes place at a tATu concert, and the music drama Don't Fade Away with Ryan Kwanten ("Summerland") and Ja Rule. Presently, she's filming the thriller Homecoming with Matt Long ("Jack & Bobby") and will soon start on her most promising prospect yet Malice in Sunderland, a modern take on the fairy tale.

Add up this resume and you've got a B list actress who shouldn't taint Gossip Girl with her passionless acting. It's doing so well without the need for stunt casting. TV Guide reported that she was offered the part of an old party friend of Serena's, who would most likely lure her back into her old ways. But according to other sources she turned it down. Thank God! Now Josh, if you want to cast Taylor Handley who played Oliver or Michael Cassidy who played Zach, be my guest.

FILM: New in Theaters - 2/29/08

There's quite a range of movies that are new in theaters this week. For the period piece lovers, we've got the literary adaptation The Other Boleyn Girl with Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson, and Eric Bana that looks pretty hot and heavy, and filled with scandal. Ever since "Tudors" swept the nation with its ability to make history interesting--and by interesting I mean sexy--period pieces have been getting a tad more raunchy, i.e. Atonement. Watch the trailer.

For the manboy comedy fanatic, Will Ferrell presents you with Semi-Pro, a 70s basketball movie starring none other than Wood Harrelson (I don't know why either) and Andre Benjamin. This trio of idiots want to get their team qualified for the NBA so they can be taken seriously. I'm sure you can imagine why that would be impossible. Watch the trailer.

My pick for the weekend is the much-delayed Reese Witherspoon-produced indie Penelope. I'm sure the mere fact that James McAvoy is playing the male lead (with an American accent) is reason enough for ladies to rush the theaters. But I was more interested in the plot. Christina Ricci plays a girl who is cursed with a pig snout for a nose because of her family's scandalous legacy. In order to break the curse, her mother has to find a rich guy of nobility to fall in love with her in spite of her pig face. Hidden behind a wall in a secret room, she talks to each eligible bachelor before the big reveal, only to have them eventually run screaming from the house. McAvoy just might be the one guy who can see past the snout. (That sentence will never ever again be written in the history of mankind.) He convinces her to break out from her cage and see the world, and when she does she becomes the poster child for inner beauty and a media magnet. Alas, by the trailer it seems that McAvoy might've been hired to "see past the snout" (oy!), but will that stop her from continuing her one-woman revolution?

MUSIC: Origin of the "Running Man" dance

This is a hilarious video I found that claims that MC Hammer stole the "Running Man" dance from a British guy in 1989. But the funniest part of it all is that it shows a groups of Brits breaking out into choreographed old school dances that could pass for a little afternoon aerobics. So if you've got some free time and a door to your office, I'd say it's prime to break a sweat to:

REVIEW: Charlie Bartlett

Cheer up Charlie Bartlett
Popping pills and teetering on the line between over-exposing ourselves for mass appreciation and crawling into ourselves to avoid mass humiliation seems to be the mantra of our drama-filled generation. Just ask the ladies from “The Hills.” Taking note of the trends that are rampant among the young kids today, Charlie Bartlett does a good job of making its supporting cast of misfits and popular kids quite relatable, giving them a common denominator in the King of all Misfits and the Misunderstood, the film’s namesake, played by young Russian actor Anton Yelchin (Alpha Dog).

It seems Charlie was groomed since childhood—saddled with a tax-evading, incarcerated father and a deluded, flighty mother—to constantly seek approval from his peers. While most teen characters resolve to bring down the Queen B, like in Mean Girls, or to be the sole source of alcohol—and, by association, fun—for an un-chaperoned party, like in Superbad, in order to get in with the in-crowd, Charlie decides to take the unconventional road. He propositions the school bully, played by a surprisingly believable Tyler Hilton ("One Tree Hill"), with a business partnership that involves selling psychiatric drugs to their peers for purposes of getting high as well as dealing with their burgeoning teen angst. He instantly becomes legendary. Unlike Mean Girls, however, the movie doesn’t wait till the end to prove that his peers really do care about him and they aren't just interested in his overflowing supply. The simple fact that he takes the time to listen to their problems and considers them all—in spite of their hierarchical cliques—equally important is reason enough to worship him indefinitely.

And what keeps the viewers worshiping at the altar of Yelchin is that he dares to go beyond the shy boy-next-door staple and isn’t afraid to put his inner freak on display. My personal favorite expositions would have to be his need to announce at a raging party—while rocking a blazer and boxers—that he was officially no longer a virgin and his rendition of "Yankee Doodle Dandy" in a British accent. It’s this behavior that makes me believe that he’s more fit to be Robert Downey Jr.’s son rather than his nemesis. Perhaps then Downey Jr. wouldn’t have seemed like a lifeless waste, who only got to shine during rare moments of inappropriate humor. Perhaps then Charlie’s daddy issues would’ve seemed more interesting and would have warranted his needy behavior. But instead Downey Jr. was subjected to playing Kat Dennings’ (40 Year Old Virgin) father and the principal of the high school, as well as a backboneless, emasculated, power-starved, alcoholic with a cheating ex-wife.

Maybe the writer, Gustin Nash, favored a more sugar-coated version of this boy’s obvious anguish, having been terminally aged by his lack of parental guidance and overly mature wardrobe. Instead of allowing him to wallow in self pity—as every teenager should—after revealing that he was abandoned by his father and left to baby sit his depressed mother, Nash overrides his heartfelt confession by having Dennings reward him for his honesty with sex in the backseat of a fake car. And even though he tried to “get real” again with an after-school-special suicide attempt by one of the students that would teach Charlie about consequences, he eventually just steam-rolled over that by pretending that the solution to the suicidal hermit’s problems was forcing everyone to watch his play, so that for once he would be heard.

Then the film tapers off into a quick wrap-up to assuage our interests as to what happened to all the main characters and a resounding moral-of-the-story moment that pretty much says that teens just need to be heard not medicated and if you want to be popular, all you have to do is listen to your fellow man—you hear that presidential hopefuls?

It seems Nash really does need to be heard though, since his next project is called Youth in Revolt and his latest loud speaker will be played by Michael Cera--most certainly the new voice of our stuttering, self-conscious, sex-crazed generation, and one that will be equally entertaining as Yelchin.

TRAILERS: Pineapple Express & Chaos Theory

When I first saw the trailer for the Pineapple Express it was just a clip of the film featuring Seth Rogen and James Franco as a DVD extra on Superbad, and it really wasn't that funny. But after watching the full trailer I nearly died laughing. It could possibly battle Harold and Kumar as one of the best pot-induced comedic action films ever. Man, they're really trying to revive the Cheech and Chong genre. In this new adventure, Franco plays Rogen's dealer. After picking up a bag of a special brew Franco whipped up called The Pineapple Express, Rogen witnesses a murder. Pot = paranoia. So the entire movie follows Rogen and Franco as they try to evade the murderers...and of course try to get high during their downtime. I have to say the best part is when Rosie Perez's kicks their ass. Yeah, Rosie freaking Perez.

Release Date: August 8

In Chaos Theory, Ryan Reynolds plays a guy who is quite meticulous about everything he does. He makes list and is always on schedule. He is the exact opposite of me. In fact, I'm supposed to be somewhere in 2hrs and if I don't leave in 10 minutes, I'm going to be late. Unfortunately, one day he gets thrown off schedule and before you know it everything in his life starts to go wrong. Despite the assistance of his girlfriend Emily Mortimer (Lars and the Real Girl) and his bff Stuart Townsend (League of Extraordinary Gentleman), he decides to fend off this bad karma and try to regain his sanity by letting a bunch of index cards with phrases, like "Drink more" and "Streak Ice" (as in streak on the hockey ice rink), to make every decision for him. Awesome. Reynolds is just the right amount of crazy to pull this off. Let the chaos ensue.

Release Date: March 14

TRAILERS: Street Kings, The Cleaner, The Visitor

Keanu Reeves stars in a career-changing thriller not unlike Training Day. In the film Street Kings he plays a newly widowed cop who is implicated in the death of a fellow officer and must go up against not only his own people but the killers in the streets in order to clear his name. This might actually go down in history as the first star-studded movie that has rappers (Game, Common, 50 Cent) and doesn't suck. It's like Training Day in the sense that the lead character is corrupt--in this case driven to evil for self-preservation--and his protege, played by Chris Evans (Fantastic Four), is naive and impressionable. Also starring are Forest Whitaker, Hugh Laurie ("House"), and Cedric the Entertainer. Cop movies + angry rap music always make for great action films.

Release Date: April 11

Samuel L. Jackson and Eva Mendes star in the thriller The Cleaner. Apparently, when someone dies in your house, you have to clean it up after the cops collect all of their evidence. That makes sense. So Jackson is what you would call "The Cleaner," the guy who cleans up the incident so you don't have to. Slight problem. Anybody can call him, so he can technically clean up a crime that hasn't even been investigated yet. The cover-up leads to a huge cop conspiracy and then the shooting starts...


I don't usually promote indies-with-a-heart-of-gold, but The Visitor is a very interesting look at America's illegal immigrant situation. It's about a professor who finds a young couple living in his apartment. Instead of kicking them out, he befriends them, learning new things about their culture and about their philosophy on life. When the guy gets arrested and put in a detention center, the professor must reevaluate his own philosophy on life. Check it out:

FILM: Michael Cera cast in "Youth in Revolt"

Michael Cera has been cast in C.D. Payne's comedic novel Youth in Revolt. He'll play Nick Twisp, "a smart, sexually obsessed teen living in a world of moronic adults." "While his trailer trash parents teeter on the edge of divorce, 14-year-old Nick sets his sights on dream girl Sheeni Saunders, hoping that she'll be the one to take away his virginity." It sounds like a intellectual Superbad minus the sidekicks. Apparently the novel is a cult hit that has sequels, was turned into a play, and has numerous Web site tributes. I can't wait to see who's going to play the object of his desire. I pick Amanda Seyfried (Mamma Mia!). She's sweet, seductive, and totally out of his league. Plus, she's been in Mean Girls, "Veronica Mars," "Big Love," and is starring in Diablo Cody' s Jennifer's Body soon. So she's got good range for the part. Who's your pick?

FILM: Ellen Page + Cillian Murphy

The parts just keep rolling in for Juno's Ellen Page. With an Oscar nom under her belt, she's got the pick of the litter. One of her next projects will be alongside Cillian Murphy in a psychological thriller called Peacock. Murphy seems to have a knack for playing people with split personalities like in Batman Begins--even if one is male and the other is female like in Breakfast on Pluto. He does the same in this film where he "fools his Nebraskan hometown into believing his two alter egos are man and wife." Page will play his party pooper, "a struggling young mother who holds the key to his past and sparks a battle between the personalities."

FILM: Who should be Stallone's protege in hitman flick?

Sylvester Stallone may be regaining his street cred by dragging out his most famous films from the vault to peg on an unnecessary sequel, but it seems his master plan is coming to fruition. Now that studio execs have seen that he's not some crusty old hasbeen and he can actually maneuver about the same even at the age of 61, it's official. Stallone has entered the second to last stage of a male actor's career. It's the stage where a male actor is typecast as "the wise old guy," "the creepy old guy," and "the creepy old guy who turns out to be wise." (In case you were wondering, the last stage is when an actor becomes their own boss a la Clint Eastwood or Robert Redford and makes their own movies. Of course they can skip the 2nd to last stage like Mel Gibson and Sean Penn or skip the last stage all together like Harrison Ford and Jack Nicholson. Wait. Techinically Stallone is doing the 2nd to last stage last and the last stage 2nd to last...never mind.)

MGM is reportedly attempting to remake the 1973 film The Mechanic. It's about an aging hitman--yes that would be Stallone--who takes a young guy under his wing to teach him how to be a professional killer. Heartwarming, no? So, since they've already cast the old fogie, who will they cast as his protege? According to sources, Ryan Gosling, Ben Foster, Cillian Murphy and Elijah Wood are being considered. Hmm. After watching Red Eye and Batman Begins, Murphy scares the bejesus out of me. But Foster...Foster is a Halloween costume in the making. Watch 3:10 to Yuma--a freaking western--and you'll be scared of him. But I don't know. Do they want someone malleable who could pass for sweet and then surprises you in the end with ferocity? I guess I'll have to watch the original to find out. But if they do, then I think Gosling would be perfect. Elijah could chop my arm off and I'd still wouldn't be afraid of him. Who's your pick?

FILM: Who should they cast in this teen comedy?

Lizabeth Zindel's teen novel Girl of the Moment is being adapted for the big screen. It's a comedy about "a girl who lands a once-in-a-lifetime chance to intern for a famous teen starlet, thrusting the heroine into a glamorous and catty inner world of young celebrity"...essentially high school for grown-ups. Apparently there was a survey that discovered that almost fifty percent of teenage girls want to be personal assistants to celebrities like Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan. They chose this profession over such respectable jobs as being a U.S. senator or a CEO.

My question is who should they cast to play this social-climbing teen. I'm sort of sick of Emma Roberts, since she butchered poor Nancy Drew. Miley Cyrus is way too famous in her own right to pull off a fame-hungry teen, and her sidekick on Hannah Montana, Emily Osment, is a little too obscure at the moment eventhough her brother is Haley Joel (Sixth Sense). Jojo, who has done films like Aquamarine and RV, just turned 18, so she's too old. Miranda Cosgrove from iCarly may be too famous at this point and her sidekick Jennette McCurdy is probably not famous enough. And let's face it, everyone on Zoe 101, including Jamie Lynn Spears, should just lay low. However, Selena Gomez from the Wizards of Waverly Place could be just the right amount of famous to attract viewers without overshadowing the imaginary fame of the celebrity she tails...which brings me to the even harder question of who gets to play the celebrity?

In Win a Date with Tad Hamilton, the beefcake actor is played by Josh Duhamel, Fergie's fiance, and in Sex in the City Samantha's model/actor boyfriend is played by Jason Lewis. The trend here seems to be "really hot non-famous actor." So if they pick some girl who is really beautiful yet obscure with the ability to be a bitch like...who? Got any suggestions?

FILM: Dominic Monaghan's Human "Pet"

Oh Charlie! Most fans are still mourning the demise of Dominic Monaghan's character on Lost. But if they really miss him that much they could take comfort in knowing that Monaghan will be rebooting his film career after a much needed vacay from Lord of the Rings' fame. He's a hobbit no more.

Monaghan's next film has him playing a guy who kidnaps his high school crush and locks her up underneath the animal shelter he works at in the psychological thriller Pet. But in the vein of Hard Candy, it turns out she's not exactly who she seems to be. Honestly, I've never been so excited to see Charlie die.

MUSIC: 30 Rock's Kenneth + Mariah Carey = ?

I don't really like Mariah Carey's latest single "Touch my Body" off her new album E=MC², but this video for it, featuring Kenneth the page from "30 Rock," is f*ing hilarious!!

MUSIC: Estelle feat. Kanye West "American Boys"

That's officially the first ode to the "American Boy" that I have ever heard coming from the UK--heck from Europe period. Americans usually get a lot of flack just for tolerating certain presidents and not rushing the White House and dragging them out by their graying hair. So naturally I'm a little stunned to hear a song filled with appropriate descriptions of American guys who are in the music industry or even in a neighborhood nearby and America's most famous cities and what they have to offer. As for the production, Estelle does well to not only sing her opinions but rap them. Plus, Kanye was a nice little additive.

FILM: Box Office Results - 2/22/08

Go figure! The movie I didn't see this week is the one that takes the top spot. Vantage Point benefited from its ensemble cast and promise of some much-needed action, raking in $24 mil--and on a weekend of crappy weather no less. Premiering in less than a thousand theaters, Be Kind Rewind came in at #8 with $4 mil. The loser of the weekend was Charlie Bartlett, which debuted in a little over a thousand theaters and only managed to gross $1.8 mil. While some critics bashed it for being a cookie-cutter teenage flick and a blatant rip-off of Ferris Bueller's legacy, others were truly impressed by Anton Yelchin's performance and the raw dialogue of newcomer Gustin Nash.

Jumper only dropped one spot to #2 and has accumulated $56 mil so far, while Spiderwick Chronicles dropped to #3 with $44 mil and holds the promise of possibly crawling out of the below-par fantasy flick shadow of such duds as The Seeker and Eragon. Step Up 2 the Streets dropped to #4 and is still in the running with an impressive $41 mil. Definitely, Maybe dropped to #6 with $22 mil, despite critics' appreciation for its remodel of the romantic comedy genre. Surprisingly, Fool's Gold has got it beat by one spot, coming in at #5 with $52 mil. Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins is holding on at #9 with $35 mil. But the biggest surprise of the box office is actually that the Oscar nominated There Will Be Blood, suspected to be down for the count, jumped from #12 to #10 to reach a much-deserved $35 mil.

Next week Scarlett Johansson, Natalie Portman, and Eric Bana heat up the screen in the period piece The Other Boleyn Girl, while Will Ferrell keeps us in stitches with the sports comedy Semi-Pro, and James McAvoy sweeps Christina Ricci off her feet in Penelope.

FILM: Full Sex in the City trailer

Let's see. Shows like Cashmere Mafia and Lipstick Jungle make the new full length trailer for Sex in the City that much more enticing. By the looks of things Samantha is still slutty, Charlotte gets pregnant, Steve cheats on Miranda, and Carrie seems to fall into a gloomy pessimistic state after not marrying Big. Oh how I miss reliable feminine drama. Enjoy:

FILM: Angels bring the Apocalypse in "Legion"

It's not very often that you stumble upon an interesting plot, but after reading this one I'm a little too eager to see its incarnation. The action/horror/thriller Legion is about: "when God loses faith in humanity and sends his legion of angels to wipe out the human race for the second time. Mankind's only hope lies in a group of misfits holed up in a diner in the desert who are aided by the archangel Michael." Playing Michael is Paul Bettany of The Da Vinci Code and Wimbledon. Him aside, I'm pretty psyched to see what a legion of angels looks like when they get pissed off. I mean, if Constantine's devil is any sight to be seen then this should have everyone's arrested attention. Also, I looked up the word Legion on Wikipedia and it says that in the Bible the term Legion refers to a man possessed by many devils. Interesting...

FILM: Rashida Jones from "The Office"

Rashida Jones has spun off from "The Office" to star in the TV show "Unhitched," but that's not all she's been up to since the strike. She just wrapped Brief Interviews with Hideous Men, which happens to be her former co-star John Krasinski's writing and directorial debut. Now she's filming the romantic comedy Chilled in Miami with Renee Zellweger and Harry Connick Jr.

But her first leading role will be the comedy I Love You, Man with Jason Segel and Paul Rudd as her co-stars. The story follows a guy who is newly engaged and in search of a Best Man. John Hamburg, a writer of many of Ben Stiller's films (Meet the Fockers, Zoolander), is at the helm. I just hope Hamburg's female dialogue content doesn't suck as much as it did in Along Came Polly. Jones really has a shot at hitting it big with the right material.

FILM: Can Patrick Wilson be funny?

Patrick Wilson may have started his TV/film career seven years ago, but he's already starred in countless critically acclaimed films from "Angels in America" to Little Children--most of which have been thought provoking dramas. Now, he's finally decided to diversify his resume. First he'll co-star with Anne Hathaway in the horror/thriller Passengers, then he'll get christened by commercial media in the comic adaptation Watchmen.

But the most interesting new film on his roster is a comedy called Barry Munday. It's based on Frank Turner Hollon's novel Life Is a Strange Place, where a man-whore gets caught sleeping with a teenage girl and is almost bludgeoned to death by her father. When he wakes up in the hospital, he is relieved of ever having to worry about blue balls, since he's been castrated. The worst part of the entire ordeal is that he's suddenly realized that's he's this old, unlikeable, friendless loser who will never have children. It really is the worst time to have an epiphany. But then a miracle falls into his lap when an unattractive woman he has no recollection of ever sleeping with serves him with a paternity suit, and the opportunity of having a kid is re-presented to him. So will Barry evolve into the man/father he should be? I guess you could just read the book to find out or wait till later this year for some interesting visuals.

FILM: Kristen Bell's "When in Rome"

Kristen Bell is supposed to be starring in Forgetting Sarah Marshall with Jason Segel soon, playing his object of obsession while Mila Kunis scores his heart in the end. But next year she'll be front and center playing a NYC real estate agent who has relationship issues. She goes to Rome to watch her younger sister get married. But when she stumbles upon the reputed "fountain of love" and picks up a coin, she finds a harem of men back in NYC who are chomping at the bit for just a few minutes alone with her.

I never thought of Bell as a romantic comedy kind of girl, but I get why she would veer off into that genre. She has a natural gift for comedy. Plus, it's not like people like Judd Apatow write for women, and until Tina Fey starts employing people she hasn't worked with yet, she's going to have to settle for Mark Steven Johnson (Ghost Rider, Elektra, Grumpier Old Men) and David Diamond (The Family Man and Evolution) who aren't exactly comedy experts.

FILM: Ricky Gervais goes Hollywood

Now that the HBO comedy "Extras" is on hiatus and Ricky Gervais is on the tip of everyone's tongue, he's been sifting through some choice comedy scripts. He's already wrapped Ghost Town, a fantasy comedy with Tea Leoni where--in the vain of Eva Longoria's horrendous Over Her Dead Body--he dies and is miraculously revived only to discover that he can now see dead people--one in particular who wants him to break up his widow's marriage.

Gervais will soon start production on another comedy he's co-written called This Side of Truth, which is about a guy who lives in a world where no one lies. Because of his dull job of retelling the history of the 1300s, he invents lying to spice things up. Then suddenly he realizes how helpful it would be in stealing Jennifer Garner away from hunky Rob Lowe ("Brothers & Sister"). Jonah Hill will play his depressed neighbor and comedian Louis C.K. will be his best friend.

FILM: Viggo inspired by 'I Am Legend'

Viggo Mortensen's next project sounds oddly similar to Will Smith's last project I Am Legend, where he plays the last man on earth after an epidemic turns all humans into vampire-like creatures. Viggo will start production soon on an adaptation of No Country for Old Men writer Cormac McCarthy's Pulitzer Prize winner The Road. McCarthy's novel is about a man and his son taking a journey across the U.S. after, essentially, the apocalypse destroys most of life on Earth.

Maybe it's like some Hollywood inside joke that everybody seems to be preparing for armageddon--what with Smith's film, this week's new release The Signal (which happens to look shockingly similar to M. Night Shyamalan's The Happening where people just starting committing suicide and murder), the addition of the TV series "The Terminator," and the ominous pairing of Eva Longoria and Paul Rudd in a romantic comedy. Either way, I'm starting to get the chills. Chances are this movie won't have any vampires or blockbuster appeal. But what it does promise is Charlize Theron. So my guess is Viggo gets to repopulate the Earth with her or at least use that as a pick up line.

FILM: Mark Wahlberg is Max Payne

Mark Wahlberg has signed on for Max Payne--yet another movie where he plays a beefed-up, monosyllabic bad ass. (See Four Brothers and The Shooter for a reference.) The video game adaptation has Wahlberg playing a New York cop whose wife and baby are murdered by drug addicts. As revenge, he goes undercover for the Drug Enforcement Agency and infiltrates the mob to find the drug dealer selling the highly potent Valkyr. Unfortunately, he gets set up for the murder of his partner, forcing him to fight off not only the mob but cops. Suspense. Action. One-liners galore.

FILM: Japanese comic film

Being a big fan of comic adaptations like Sin City and Batman Begins, I get even more psyched if the film is based on a super-obscure comic title. The more underground or foreign the text is the better, because it’s more likely that it’ll be original and less recycled. The latest comic-to-film adaptation that I’m hearing buzz about is the Japanese manga, sci-fi trilogy 20th Century Boys written by Naoki Urasawa. The comic is about a store manager who predicted the apocalypse when he was a teenager and now has to try his best to remember what happens before his prophecy comes true. It’s almost like if Nostradamus had amnesia. Can't wait to see who gets cast.

FILM: New in Theaters - 02/22/08

I've been watching a lot of films in theaters lately, squeezing Step Up 2 the Streets, In Bruges, and Definitely, Maybe into a weekend. This week I've narrowed down my new release choices to Vantage Point and Charlie Bartlett.

Vantage Point is an action/political/thriller with an ensemble cast of Matthew Fox, Forest Whittaker, Dennis Quaid, Sigourney Weaver, William Hurt, Zoe Saldana (Guess Who?), and my personal favorite sexy Latino Edgar Ramirez (Domino). The film is about the attempted assassination of the U.S. president in Spain. Agents scour the square where it occurred to find the perfect vantage point that would reveal who the attempted murderer is. So it's a mystery, a conspiracy, and a guaranteed good time.

After watching that trailer you can see why I'm psyched about all the Bourne Identity-like action in that movie, but I've actually been waiting on Charlie Bartlett for a while. It premiered at a film festival last year and then just dropped off the map. It stars Anton Yelchin (Alpha Dog) as the Ferris Bueller of our pill-popping generation, playing a kid who has had so many psychiatrists he's decided to hold sessions in the boy's bathroom and medicate his entire high school. Also starring are Robert Downey Jr., Kat Dennings (4o Year Old Virgin), and singer Tyler Hilton.

I've ironically chosen Be Kind Rewind as a future DVD rental. Jack Black and rapper Mos Def participate in a twist on the spoof genre by recreating classic movies of the last few decades because they accidentally erased all of the tapes in their video store. They'll be humiliating themselves in everything from Driving Miss Daisy to RoboCop to The Ghostbusters. I guess as a nod towards the Daisy film, Danny Glover and Mia Farrow are also starring. And rounding out the doofy trio is Melonie Diaz (A Guide to Recognizing your Saints).

And if you plan on staying in--because of this ridiculous snow storm (in NYC)--you could always test the post office's rain-sleet-or-snow motto and Netflix Michael Clayton, American Gangster, Rendition, In the Valley of Elah, Gone Baby Gone, We Own the Night, Martian Child, Why did we get married? or Lust, Caution which are all out on DVD this week. I, however, will be Netflixing the first season of Showtime's "Dexter" and "Weeds."

Keep those toes warm.

FILM: Box Office Results - 2/15/08

Jumper came in at #1 with $33 mil even though the critics tore Hayden Christensen a new one. The Los Angeles Times' Kevin Crust said it "seems half-done--a long prologue building to a classic hero's journey or the launch of an antihero--but comes to a screeching halt before it can begin either." Well duh! They're trying to save a little something for the sequel doofus. lol My movie choice this weekend was actually #2 at the box office, Step Up 2 the Streets, which grossed $26 mil--six more than its first film did. The movie is really funny and filled with so many dance sequences you'll want to hit the clubs right after--seriously, check out the soundtrack. The Spiderwick Chronicles at #3 managed to rake in $21 mil, a little less than another children's adaptation Golden Compass. We'll see if it'll surpass Compass' gross ($70 mil) or even its own budget ($90 mil). Surprisingly, Definitely, Maybe came in at #5 with $12 mil. I guess Christensen monopolized women's attention this Valentine's Day weekend. Alas, because of President's Day, it's still got another shot at at least breaking $20 mil. However, to no one's surprise George Romero's Diary of the Dead, released in 42 theaters, only grossed $225,000.

Last week's #1 Fool's Gold dropped to #4 and lifted its gross to $42 mil. Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins dropped from #2 to #6, grossing up to $29 mil. Hannah Montana dropped from #3 to #9 with an outstanding $58 mil. The Eye dropped from #4 to #11, putting that final nail in Jessica Alba's high salary since it's signing off with $26 mil and her last four movies have only made between $15-35 mil tops. Katherine Heigl will probably pick up Alba's slack since 27 Dresses is at #10, on its way out of the box office with an impressive $69 mil. And rounding off the box office are two underdog indies that are surpassing anyone's proceeds expectations, Juno at #7 with $124 mil and The Bucket List at #8 with $81 mil, whereas There Will Be Blood retires with a respectable $30 mil.

My movie list sure is piling up. I'm already planning on seeing In Bruges, Jumper, and Definitely, Maybe some time this holiday week. But then Friday, the action thriller Vantage Point comes out, along with indie teen comedy Charlie Bartlett, the offbeat hilarity of Be Kind, Rewind, and yet another horror movie from Sarah Michelle Gellar called Possession with Lee Pace, "Pushing Daisies" cutie-pie (no pun intended), costarring.

FILM: New to the Box Office - 2/15/08

Jumper

A guy (Hayden Christensen) raised in an abusive household, where he was locked up in his room very often, learned at a young age that he could teleport or "jump" from one place to another just as long as he envisioned it. His first journeys were simply for survival--to escape his father, steal money, and find the man who murdered his mother. But as he grew older, he took advantage of his power to the point where he was teleporting from the couch to the refrigerator. Naturally, he raises red flags and he is violently informed of the consequences by an organization led by a nefarious man (Samuel L. Jackson) who wants to exterminate his kind. With the help of a new friend (Jamie Bell from Billy Elliot) he'll fight back. Consider it the Valentine's Day Weekend movie compromise. The ladies (who aren't fond of action movies) get to gawk at Christensen and Bell, while the guys can either enjoy the killer stunts or drool over Rachel Bilson ("The O.C.").

Definitely, Maybe

Ryan Reynolds plays daddy to Abigail Breslin, who is super eager to find out how he fell in love with her mom and where his love life went wrong. So he agrees to tell her all about his love life--the PG-13 version--but he plans on changing the names so that she has to guess which of the three girls he describes is her mom. There's the uptight responsible conservative woman (Elizabeth Banks from "Scrubs"), the wild experimental and sex-crazed hot girl (Rachel Weisz from The Mummy) and the girl-next-door bff (Isla Fisher from Wedding Crashers). Like the kid says, it's like a romantic mystery. Can't wait to solve it.

The Spiderwick Chronicles

This film is perfect for parents who want to drop their kids off somewhere for two hours while they go off and have some alone time. Of course, these kids have to be over 10 years old because half this movie will give them nightmares. The basic plot revolves around a child (Freddie Highmore from August Rush) who discovers a world that no one else can see after reading a forbidden book found in his grandfather's attic. Before you know it, he starts having visions of creatures--some friendly and some violent--and he gets wrapped up into a war he was not prepared to fight. Thankfully, he has his geeky identical twin brother, pushy big sister (Sarah Bolger from Stormbreaker), and frazzled mom (Mary-Louise Parker from "Weeds") to fend off the beasts.

Step Up 2 the Streets

Okay, so basically a bunch of kids from a dance school try to win a street dance competition. Unlike the girl in How She Move, the lead (Briana Evigan) in this film--from what I gathered from the trailer--is just trying to fight that age-old stereotype that guys can do everything better than girls. Pah-freaking-lease. I am simply going to see this movie so I can watch her competition/love interest (Robert Hoffman from She's the Man) pick his face up off the floor when she out-dances him. That and I love dance movies, whether they're high-brow like Guys and Dolls or low-brow like Honey...yeah, I said it. Also starring is R&B singer Cassie, up-and-coming dancer (and my middle school classmate) Danielle Polanco, and of course the gorgeous Channing Tatum, from the first movie, will be making a much needed appearance.

Diary of the Dead

And if you're idea of celebrating Valentine's Day Weekend is watching horror movies, then you'll love George A. Romero's latest indie. The plot is pretty irrelevant, but I'll tell it to you anyway: "During production on their fictional zombie flick, a group of film students encounter the actual undead." It's filled with a bunch of nobodies, or as I like to call them easy-kills, so enjoy the massacre.

FILM: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Trailer

It's just a teaser trailer, but it gives you a little taste of the action. It could've been better constructed though.

For better quality, click here!

TV: Strike Over! New Shows to Air...

UPDATED: 2/14 10:13 AM

TV Guide published a list of what shows will be airing new episodes this spring or fall, and how many episodes will air. So excited! Here's the news for the shows I watch in alphabetical order:

30 Rock
5-10 new episodes to air in April/May

Aliens in America
8 pre-strike episodes remain. No additional episodes expected for this season.

The Big Bang Theory
5-7 new episodes to air in April/May

Big Shots
Might be Canceled!

Bionic Woman
CANCELED! - YIKES!

Bones
4 pre-strike episodes to air before June; no word on whether more will be shot.

Brothers & Sisters
4-5 new episodes to air in April/May.

Burn Notice
Production on Season 2 expected to get under way in late April. New episodes could start airing as early as July.

Cane
CANCELED!

Carpoolers
CANCELED!

Cavemen
CANCELED!

Chuck
No new episodes until fall. -- NOOOOOOOO!!!!!

The Closer
Expected to kick off its fourth season this summer.

Desperate Housewives
6+ new episodes to air in April/May.

Dirty Sexy Money
3 pre-strike episodes will be reedited to start off the fall season.

Friday Night Lights
Might be canceled. WHYYYY???? No new episodes expected for this season.

The Game
4 pre-strike episodes remain. Expected to shoot 8 or 9 additional episodes to air in March/April/May.

Gossip Girl
4-5 episodes to air in April/May/June. -- Yayyyyy!!

Greek
Kicks off second half of Season 1 on March 24. Still awaiting Season 2 pickup.

Grey's Anatomy
4-7 new episodes to air in April/May

Heroes
No new episodes expected until fall.

How I Met Your Mother
5-9 new episodes to air in April/May.

Journeyman
CANCELED!

K-Ville
CANCELED!

Life
No new episodes expected until fall.

Life Is Wild
Cancelled -- Oh Whatever!!

Lipstick Jungle
Might get Canceled! -- even though it's only aired 1 episode.

Lost
6 pre-strike episodes remain, 5 more post-strike episodes will air after a 4-week hiatus from the end of 8th episode. The 3 episodes of the 16 cut short by the strike will be added back in to either season 5 or 6. Story elements cut out due to the shorter run will be incorporated next season.

Men in Trees
11 pre-strike episodes are on the way, but no more are expected to be produced.

Moonlight
Could produce a handful of new episodes to air in April/May. Might be Canceled!

The New Adventures of Old Christine
7 pre-strike episodes remain, and no more are expected this season.

Notes From the Underbelly
Might be Canceled!

October Road
5 pre-strike episodes remain, but its future is TBD.

One Tree Hill
4-5 pre-strike episodes remain, and its future is TBD.

Prison Break
2 pre-strike episodes remain, and will return in fall--probably because everyone liked this week's episode.

Private Practice
Slim chance it could return with 4 or 5 new episodes this season. Either way, it'll be back in the fall.

Pushing Daisies
No new episodes until fall.

Reaper
4-5 episodes to air before June.

The Riches
7-episode second season kicks off March 18.

Rules of Engagement
Expected to shoot 4 to 7 additional episodes to air in March/April/May. Might get Canceled!

Samantha Who?
4-5 episodes to air before June.

Smallville
4 pre-strike episodes remain and 3-5 additional episodes to air in April/May.

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
5 pre-strike episodes remain, and its future is TBD--unlikely it'll return.

Two and a Half Men
5-9 new episodes to air in April/May.

Ugly Betty
4-7 new episodes to air in April/May.

Welcome to the Captain!
Might get Canceled! - even though, it's only aired 2 episodes

For the full list, go here and here!

MUSIC: Robyn's Snoop Dogg remix "Sexual Eruption"

When I first heard Snoop Dogg's "Sexual Eruption" single off his new album Ego Trippin', I was introduced to it along with the music video. It was very 60's/70's pimptastic with a dreamy/hazy camera quality and cheesy set. I was laughing so hard, I barely even listened to the song. Every time it came on, I got the giggles. I was just picturing a scrawny black guy trying to flirt with me using that cheesy ass song. But then a couple weeks later Perez clued his readers in on a remix done by Robyn, a Swedish singer. I love Robyn, especially for her "Handle Me" and "Be Mine" tracks. But I love her even more after listening to this remix. It has a faster pace and it's way more believably sensual with her added lyrics. Get seduced:

FILM: M. Night Shyamalan + Mark Wahlberg

The last place I can imagine seeing Mark Wahlberg is in a horror/suspense thriller, let alone one being written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. He's used to being in parts where he's in control of a situation (Italian Job, The Departed, Three Kings, etc.). It's also rare for me to even consider seeing a horror/suspense thriller. I've actually only seen one M. Night film (Unbreakable) and after seeing the creepy ass trailers of the others (The Village, The Sixth Sense), I had no intentions of watching the rest.

However, after seeing the trailer for his latest, starring Wahlberg, called The Happening, I was intrigued. I've already seen a trailer for a movie this year where people start killing each other randomly. It's an indie. Then I watched the trailer for this movie, which is about the same thing. People just start offing each other. And that would be scary in itself, but then you start to hear loud thumps and start to see construction works peer upwards in terrified awe...because the other construction workers are throwing themselves off the roof. Death has never been so terrifying, when it seems to be swallowing the world whole inexplicably...like it's just happening. Now, I make it a point of seeing every Wahlberg film, because I'm shameless, so I've committed myself to seeing this one...in my house...in broad daylight...with several comedies on hand to flush out the images afterwards. Check out the trailer to see if you're just as intrigued!

FILM: Box Office Results- 2/08/08

World order has been reset and an actual movie is at #1 in the box office. Alas, it is Fool's Gold, but a movie nonetheless. I guess the ladies were pretty keen on seeing Matthew McConaughey shirtless--$22 mil worth of ab exercises. Martin Lawrence's Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins faired pretty well at #2 with $17 mil. Whereas The Hottie & The Nottie didn't even place in the top 10 and only managed $25,000 in total from the 111 theaters it was released in. Anybody surprised? Anybody? Vince Vaughn's Wild West Comedy Show managed to pull in a few more viewers. With a little less than a thousand theaters, it grossed half a million dollars. In Bruges, Colin Farrell's official comeback, managed to gross $470,000 with just 28 theaters. Most of the critics were praising it, saying like James Greenberg from the Hollywood Reporter that, "Just when you think you've seen every possible variation on the hit-man genre, Irish playwright Martin McDonagh in his feature debut has fashioned an audacious combination of Old World grace and modern ultraviolence."

Hannah Montana's concert is still in the top 10 at #3, reaching $53 mil. Jessica Alba's intro into horror, The Eye, dropped two spots to #4 with $21 mil. And in its 10th week in the box office, Juno has reached $117 mil at #5. Here's the bottom half of the top 10:
6. 27 Dresses: $65
7. The Bucket List: $75
8. Rambo: $36
9. Meet the Spartans: $33
10. There Will Be Blood: $26
Untraceable is already out of the top 10 in its third week with $24 mil and Cloverfield bails out in its fourth week with $75 mil.

Next week, Valentine's Day hits us hard. On the blessed day Jumper and The Spiderwick Chronicles debut, and on Friday the romantic dramedy Definitely, Maybe and the dance sequel Step Up 2 the Streets hit theaters. So many to choose from...so little money.

FASHION WEEK: Naeem Khan

Naeem Khan may not have been my favorite this year like he's been for the last two seasons--didn't really pick one--but he did do something I did not think possible. He made leopard print look good. You have to understand. I don't do prints--zebra, leopard, doesn't matter. I don't do it. But after seeing how Khan transformed this white trash/animal-cruelty staple, I think I'll manage not to cringe if I see it on the red carpet.

FASHION WEEK: Ralph Lauren + Bill Blass

Ralph Lauren got a little plaid-happy in greens and blues. He really made it work.

Bill Blass had a feather fetish, with a side of sequins and ruffles. The most wearable of the entire collection is this belted, gray, knee-length dress with a feathery collar and a polka dotted bust.

Alice + Olivia had a very cute Pepto-Bismol pink coat that looked more like a puffy dress.

Rebecca Taylor had a whole lot of lace and prints that I just wasn't feeling, but I did like one of her semi-sheer navy sweaters.

Carmen Marc Valvo had a beautiful, simple white gown, with what seemed like a peel-away bust--perfect for a wedding.

I would most certainly rock Charlotte Ronson's colorful tweed dress as my school uniform--comfortable and cute.

FILM: Tom Cruise vs. Daniel Craig

Nazi and Holocaust films aren't exactly crowd-pleasers. They may get critical acclaim, but they don't break box offices. This year, however, we'll have two starring major actors, Tom Cruise and Daniel Craig. Or as most people know them Ethan Hunt and James Bond. They are two of the most famous action heroes and they're about to save the Jews in period pieces. It may sound a bit farfetched, but if anyone can do it, there's no doubt they can. The question is which one will sell better:

In Valkyrie, Tom Cruise plays an assassin who is sent to kill Hitler during WWII. If you weren't paying attention in history class, allow me to inform you (after my Brittanica search) that Hitler committed suicide with his new wife while the Soviets invaded. Valkyrie is the name of Hitler's contigency plan to escape the city if he was under attack. He had a secret army. Cruise's plan is to use that army against him. Of course the shit hits the fan when all the conspirators against Hitler are discovered and Cruise has got to think fast before his family is targeted. One of the writers, Christopher McQuarrie, wrote The Usual Suspects so it's sure to be supsenseful. You can see for yourself in the trailer:


Daniel Craig's film is a tad different. He plays one of three Jewish brothers (Liev Schreiber and Jamie Bell) who escape from Poland, which was occupied by Nazis at one time. They hide in the forest and gather forces so that they can fight back. They soon meet Russian resistance fighters and build a sort of congregation that protect people that are Nazi targets. I think the comraderie is more enticing than Cruise's assassination-flick. Check out the trailer:

FILM: New to the Box Office - 2/08/08

Fool's Gold

I'm starting to think that Matthew McConaughey is the only romantic lead left in Hollywood. I admit that his chemistry with Kate Hudson in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days was pretty spot on, but there was no need to re-pair these two. There are so many more attractive women/men that could've been their match. Nonetheless, this story follows Kate who married a slacker (Matthew) who is good in the sack. After getting a quick and much-needed divorce from him, she realizes she needs money fast in order to get her PhD, so she decides to join him on his treasure hunt...and inevitably fall back in love with him. It's just slapstick humor, try not to read too much into it, you'll hurt yourself.

Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins

You know all those movies where some really successful guy goes home to get painfully reminded of how unimportant he truly is by his family? Well, Martin Lawrence thought he'd do one of these with a bevy of black actors in tow. So tune in for James Earl Jones, Mo'Nique, Cedric the Entertainer, Michael Clark Duncan, Mike Epps, Joy Bryant, and many more. Lawrence's character plays a fake doctor on a talk show, who goes home to introduce his new wife (Bryant) to his family so they can start having kids. Unfortunately, they're not impressed with his stuck up wife or his fake fame. I can't guarantee that it'll be hilarious, but I can promise that there will be plenty of shennanigans.

The Hottie and the Nottie

Speaking of stuff that isn't funny, Paris Hilton plays a hot girl--what a stretch--who has vowed not to date anyone until she finds Mr. Right for her best friend (Christine Lakin from "Step by Step"). Unfortunately, her childhood guy friend (Joel Moore from "LAX") was hoping now that he was older he could officially bag her. I do not feel his pain.

Wild West Comedy Show: 30 Days & 30 Nights -
Hollywood to the Heartland

Vince Vaughn filmed a comedy tour with four relatively unknown comedians for a whole month, with a guest star by Justin Long. Hey, it could be funny. It's most definitely funnier than any of the comedies above.

In Bruges

Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix) buddy up as hit men who botch their last job and are ordered, by their boss Ralph Fiennes (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix), to lay low in a little town called Bruges. Being the antsy little bastards that they are, they disregard the orders and leave the hotel room, bumping into bizarre and hilarious characters along the way.

FASHION WEEK: Marchesa & Anna Sui

Wednesday, Marchesa lived up to the Harvey Weinstein hype. There was a midnight black strapless gown with bursts of laced fabric like a bouquet of flowers, a plum strapless gown with a cinched waist and mini-flower bunches in the bust, and a pale green Romeo & Juliet dress with a beaded train that I could see Gwyneth Paltrow/Cate Blanchett wearing that were gorgeous. But my personal fave was a Greek, one-strap number with a wreath of flowery-detail that extended from below the bust to the shoulder (left). I could totally see a pregnant Angelina rocking this--fit for a queen.

Carlos Miele's gowns were trying for Oscar-readiness, from the crumpled halter (left), to a one-strap burgundy satin number, to a black and silver strapless.

Isaac Mizrahi's line was kind of bland.

I really loved Nanette Lepore overall, especially her berry-hued pieces (left). It's almost Spring, but I'm totally game for coat shopping. This one's kind of girly, but the cut is very regal while the texture makes it less hoity-toity.

Y & Kei had yet another coat (left) I was feeling--tweed texture and a funky origami cut.

Michael Kors could style the entire cast of "Mad Men." With the release of Angelina Jolie's period film The Changeling coming in November, it seems the 40s are in.

Milly by Michelle Smith had a few choice pieces, but I was really only feeling this mixed black and white patterned outfit (left). Mixed patterns seem to be my thing this season.

Anna Sui was like a kaleidescope of Native American hippie-ness that I just wasn't ready-to-wear.

I may not have liked anything from Richard Chai's collection, but I did love one of the colors, a camel-caramel in suede (above). Nice.

Derek Lam had a very dark palette--stern, business-like. There were a few pencil skirts that I was fond of.

This morning was Vera Wang, Bill Blass, and my personal favorite Naeem Khan. Right at this moment Calvin Klein's collection is strutting down the runway, and tonight we've got Cynthia Rowley, Tommy Hilfiger, and Zac Posen.

FASHION WEEK: Marc Jacobs + Badgley Mischka + Monique Lhuillier

Tuesday, Marc Jacobs never usually impresses me--and the collection didn't really this time either--but I did like this hot pink, 80s rock chic, houndstooth-printed, belted, puffed-up mini (left) that I would've totally worn to my prom if I graduated in 1985, sans the beret.


Rodarte had some kind of like fairy-looking thing going on. So weird and bizarre. I only liked the blood red streaked ones.






Badgley Mischka was rocking the deep oranges and purples, mixing textures (left), and creating surprisingly gorgeous gowns.



Vivienne Tam confused me a bit. I'm not sure why she was incorporating images of Mickey and Minnie mouse, or even how she was allowed to, but it seemed like she was designing a line for children. Whatevs.





Monique Lhuillier had a star-studded front row and once the clothes hit the runway it was clear why. She's got award show-ready gowns that only a well-fed star could fill out to perfection. I personally loved this two-dresses in one, gold sparkles mixed with pearl, white toga ensemble (left).


Narciso Rodriguez failed to impress this time around. I was only fond of one of his coats that's barely worth mentioning.





On Saturday, Mara Hoffman didn't really blow my mind, but if you look at the model walking away (left) she has a killer black sweater with a skeletal print that's mostly seen in men's clothing--and boy do I envy the boys' section.












And on Sunday, Twinkle's collection consisted of what I would like to refer to as transitional-wear. You know that period between summer and fall when you're not sure if it's too cold to not wear a jacket but too hot to wear one. The designer mixed sweaters with silky beach dresses (left). I feel like Goldilocks--it's just right.