The must- bookmark blog for your daily dose of celeb- centric news, irreverent analysis and the best celeb-tracking community on the Web.
RSS Feed
Archive: Pop Culture
Celeb-Centric Art: The Etch-A-Sketchist
After news broke that Estelle Getty had passed away last week, the Etch-A-Sketchist got to work. (Image courtesy the Etch-A-Sketchist) Since my taste tends to run to the kitschy, some of my favorite art is celebrity inspired. I would be the first to dismiss my tabloid taste as lowbrow, if it weren't for the fact that Andy Warhol, too, found beauty in the faces of the famous -- beauty and something more: social commentary in its most bald (and bold) faced form. And so it is in the finest tradition of Warhol that we should view the work of the shadowy Etch-A-Sketchist, who has been rendering the faces of celebrities in aluminum powder since early 2007. Though, unlike Warhol's iconic works -- which now auction for millions, the Etch-A-Sketchist's works are fleeting -- each one disappearing back into the clouds of silvery dust inside the familiar red-framed toy, only...
By Liz | July 29, 2008; 11:15 AM ET | CommentsComments (19)
When Summer Movies Break the Law
Ladies, you did well at the box office. You can afford those fancy gowns. (New Line) We hold certain truths about summer blockbusters to be self-evident. We presume the movies that generate the most money (and buzz) will: star young, hot actors; feature tons of explosions; appeal primarily to fight-scene-obsessed males in their teens and twenties; and/or attract the attention of little kids who will drag their parents to see said movies again and again and again until Mom and Dad secretly wish that Nemo would just stay lost already and give them some peace. With a few sleeper-hit exceptions, those tenets usually remain steadfastly in tact. But the summer of 2008 has been an unusual one. During its first few weeks, this cinema season has challenged several blockbuster truths in surprising and (in my view) encouraging ways. Here's a look at the lessons we have learned so far:...
By Jen Chaney | June 25, 2008; 11:15 AM ET | CommentsComments (190)
Friday List: Super-Casting?
Super Villain: Burgess Meredith as The Penguin. (AP) Unless you're the Flash or Wonder Woman, there's just no "I" in team. Which is why today I've enlisted "Lost" analysis collaborator and Wonder Twin Jen Chaney to help evaluate Cinematical's list of the Best Ever Superhero and Villain Casting. When Jen isn't busy handicapping the best show on TV with me, her mild-mannered alter ego is that of post.com Movies producer and DVD reviewer, a job that has exposed her to unhealthy levels of superhero flicks. A lesser human might've succumbed to the non-stop onslaught of CGI effects and pithy one-liners, but not our Jen. She was morphed by the experience into Crita-Girl, a woman able to pontificate on the merits of various superheroes -- from the recent (Ed Norton's "Hulk") to the distant glimmerings of heroes past (Christopher Reeve's "Superman"). Without further delay, here's Cinematical's list in abbreviated form...
By Liz | June 13, 2008; 10:43 AM ET | CommentsComments (111)
Books: Studying Steven Seagal
(Titan Books) It's time we put away childish things and talked about a real celebrity. Someone who truly walks on air miles above our tragically un-famous heads; who redefined the very ideal of super-stardom by his mere existence and who makes other pretenders to the highest realms of celebrity (sorry Angelina) resemble Bronson Pinchot or that girl who played the cheesy robot daughter in '80s syndicated sitcom "Small Wonder." That's right. I'm talking about Steven Seagal, a real star. A guy who is so famous and so enlightened that even he is awed by his prowess. A guy who doesn't need hordes of paparazzi following his every move to validate his relevance. A man so dang good at what he does that we are sometimes afraid to look upon his rightness and recognize his preeminence as the star of all stars. Well, all of us except this guy named...
By Liz | May 29, 2008; 10:39 AM ET | CommentsComments (29)
Rant: Leave 'Donnie Darko' Alone
Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone and freaky bunny in 2001's 'Donnie Darko.' (Dale Robinette/Courtesy NewMar) [Begin Rant] Today we take a break from our usual fare of celeb-circumspection to consider (again) Hollywood's annoying addiction to the sequel. Sure, I'm as hesitantly expectant as the next girl about the imminent release of "Indiana Jones's" fourth installment, but from the moment Harrison Ford cracked that whip back in 1981, "Indiana Jones" had franchise practically tattooed on his forehead. And we were okay with that. Despite its setting during World War II, the movie was a lighthearted, vicarious romp through bug-filled caves where daredevil narrow escapes were tempered by pithy dialogue (The grody "om nom shiva" scene not withstanding.) It was "Goonies" for grown-ups. But, never content to let a good thing remain untarnished by the stank of greed, Hollywood has aimed its indiscriminate money-making steamroller at "Donnie Darko," a movie that --...
By Liz | May 13, 2008; 10:43 AM ET | CommentsComments (78)
Brenda Dickson: Welcome to Her Nightmare
Brenda Dickson has advice on just about everything. (YouTube) Never having watched "The Young and the Restless," I can't say I was familiar with Brenda Dickson's work until the video linked below found its way to my inbox yesterday afternoon. Perhaps because Dickson in effect disappeared from the entertainment world after being fired from "The Young and the Restless" in 1988. Though, as evidenced by these pix, she is still making the Hollywood rounds -- or, rather, the bizarro world Hollywood that is populated by Fabio and "American Idol" rejects. The video is neither new -- it was produced, directed and written by Dickson in 1987 -- or new to the Internet. Mr. Liz happened upon it while perusing Dan Savage's blog. But what it is is a study in the egomaniacal tendencies that afflict several who dare to call themselves celebrities. More akin to Elizabeth Berkley than Elizabeth...
By Liz | April 16, 2008; 10:42 AM ET | CommentsComments (0)
Say It Ain't So: The New '90210'
The original 'Beverly Hills, 90210' cast, back in the day. (AP) I'm going to go ahead and say right from the start that what follows, like Celine Dion, won't appeal to everyone. But if you happened to come of age -- any kind of age -- when "Beverly Hills, 90210" was a TV juggernaut, read on. Heady days, those, when we liked this show so much we were willing to give the age-challenged Gabrielle Carteris a pass or believe that the James Dean-esque Dylan could really live in his own Beverly Hills bachelor pad. Shannen Doherty vamped around like an underage Joan Collins and, let's face it, we all knew Tori was only on the show because her dad was the producer. It was okay. We liked her anyway and we hated David Silver when he got it on with that chick in the back of a limo. What...
By Liz | March 20, 2008; 10:42 AM ET | CommentsComments (39)
List-a-licious: The -est of 2007
It isn't only Santa who gets listy in December. Lazy observers of culture (present company sheepishly included) also turn to the list -- a convenient way to create splashy content with minimal reportage. Here at Celebritology central, we've been accumulating an uber-list of this year's smartest, dumbest, couply-est, searchy-est, buzziest, etc., crafted in an attempt to put a period at the end of the long, bloated, over-wrought sentence that I am writing was 2007. Grab some Earl Grey, pop in the ear buds and spend a little time with the bumper crop of lists below. And if you know of one not yet listed (duh), please add to the comments section. The 20 Most Talked About Celebs of 2007 How Paris Hilton beat out Britney Spears to top this list, I'll never understand. Oh, and if you're not Australian, stop reading after no. 13. Top 10 Smoking Hot Couples of...
By Liz | December 4, 2007; 10:42 AM ET | CommentsComments (17)
The Great 'Star Wars' Debate
Modern mythology: Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford in the original 'Star Wars.' (Twentieth Century Fox) Today we depart from our regularly scheduled programming to continue a debate that began in yesterday afternoon's Celebritology Live chat. If you weren't in on the initial flare up, here's the gist: Last week, one of the Onion's pop culture writers reportedly (though we can't seem to find the piece online and it might've just been another Onion-flavored ruse.) admitted that she'd never seen the original "Star Wars" trilogy and, furthermore, didn't plan to see the movies since she got plenty of the references from parodies and the like. On the level or not, a heated debate about the relevancy of Lucas's movies was ignited. Many chatters, like me, consider the original "Star Wars" must-see viewing for any self-respecting student of pop culture, film or science fiction. But a small, vocal band...
By Liz | November 16, 2007; 10:43 AM ET | CommentsComments (0)
The Art of the Celebrity Courtroom Sketch
Beauty, it has been said, is in the eye of the beholder and when that beholder is someone who lives and breathes celebrity news 24/7, beauty comes in unexpected forms. One starts to appreciate, for instance, the twisted world reflected by 14 over at Gallery of the Absurd and begins to annoy one's spouse by framing particularly striking tabloid covers and hanging them in areas of the house that are not my closet. Portrait of Paris Hilton as a young lawbreaker. (AP) So I was instantly charmed when last week's Paris Hilton courtroom sketches began to move on the wires. Stripped down to the bare essentials, courtroom artist Mona Shafer Edwards captured a frail, waiflike urchin surprised to find herself de-blinged, de-entouraged and decidedly un-hot. In the photo at left, we see Hilton in a new light: reduced to wearing polar fleece and trying to hide her face with her...
By Liz | June 14, 2007; 10:43 AM ET | CommentsComments (0)
Hitting That Softsational Rock Spot
Orleans may have produced the quintessential soft rock album cover, but they're still no LRB. (Photo Courtesy of Orleans) Here's a question: Has your life hit rock bottom when you find yourself at home on a Friday night, watching VH1's "40 Most Softsational Soft Rock Songs"? Or does the nadir not come until you almost yell at the TV because the countdown fails to include even a single song by the Little River Band? Tough call, really. But at least the experience gave me fodder for a blog post. VH1, a network whose programming focuses on pop culture list-making almost as much as it does on anything Flava Flav-related, charted newly wimpy territory with this show, which celebrates Velveeta pop of the Starland Vocal Band variety. (Read the complete list here). Part of me has to wonder why the listmakers didn't just steal every track from this Time-Life collection...
By Jen Chaney | June 6, 2007; 11:18 AM ET | CommentsComments (74)
Nostalgia Redux: Evil Grimace
Grimace. (Photo courtesy Wikipedia) Celebrities come in all shapes and sizes and recently, courtesy of a "Lost" episode, I was reminded of a lumpy, purplish celebrity who occupied a revered spot in my childhood pantheon of stars. No, I'm not talking about Barney or Liberace. The lump to which I refer is none other than Grimace -- McDonalds's lovable, dimwitted, milkshake-addicted pudge seen in all his goofy glory at right. Back in the 1970s, Grimace was part of an incredibly successful marketing gang comprised of french fry addicts, a thief, a grown man wearing makeup and a guy with elephant-sandwich-itis of the head. When I was being indoctrinated into the McDonald's lifestyle, Grimace was a happy fool who seemed familiar in that he had the physique of my beanbag chair and a vocabulary instantly understandable to children the world over; that is to say that he mainly communicated using...
By Liz | March 21, 2007; 10:43 AM ET | CommentsComments (32)
Paris Hilton and Midgets and Goats, Oh My
(Photo Illustration courtesy Worth1000.com) With all the heavy news we've had lately -- Anna Nicole's death, Britney's rehab and the bust up of the Van Halen reunion that never got off the ground anyway -- my mind was ripe for distraction. So, let me tell you how this went down. I was minding my own business, clicking around the New York Post when I read the following sentence about Paris Hilton's 26th birthday party: After downing TY KU liquor and bottles of Dom Perignon, guests reported seeing Hilton play with a monkey while a band of midgets led a pack of goats around the room. (Full Item) Immediately recognizing that my 26th birthday party did not include midgets, goats or monkeys, my finely-tuned Celebritologist sixth sense knew there was something here worth investigating. So, because it's my job (hey, someone has to do it) to probe these things while...
By Liz | February 21, 2007; 10:46 AM ET | CommentsComments (8)
Lost Analysis: Episode 8 -- Time Travel, Anyone?
Warning: Spoilers ahead. Proceed at your own risk or head over to ABC to watch last night's episode first. Last week's episode kicked off a frenzy of theorizing not seen since the early days of the hatch, the button and the numbers and suddenly talk of "Lost" as a rudderless ship have evaporated, like so much black smoke. Why? Turns out that the scene in which Karl (Alex's Other boyfriend) is subjected to some kind of sensory overload chamber -- and I dismissed as an homage to "A Clockwork Orange" -- held what looks to be a king-sized clue (or one whopper of a red herring). Thanks to some industrious fans, we now know that the scene contained a backwards message. That's right, a genuine Paul-is-dead moment right here in our very own "Lost:" NewbrainUploaded by DarkUFO Listen closely or you might just miss the voice repeating this cryptic message:...
By Liz | February 15, 2007; 10:43 AM ET | CommentsComments (70)
The Horror, the Horror: Before They Were Stars
I've pretty much done Halloween-themed posts to death here, but since today is actually Oct. 31 and all, I was hoping we could carry the theme for one more day. Jamie Lee Curtis hoists her weapon in 1978's 'Halloween.' (AP) I had been planning a long dissection of exactly what went wrong between Reese and Ryan, but then I saw this Radar list of the 10 Best Horror Villains of All Time, which -- in a roundabout kind of way -- got me thinking about stars who appeared in cheesy horror pics before their careers took off. See, I was thinking about whether or not I agreed with Radar's pick of Freddy Krueger as the top villain which of course got me thinking about a young Johnny Depp, who starred in "Nightmare on Elm Street's" first installment lo these 22 years ago. And from Johnny, it was just a quick...
By Liz | October 31, 2006; 10:44 AM ET | CommentsComments (22)
Friday List: How to Survive a Horror Flick
Sadly,"The Blair Witch Project's" Heather Donahue didn't have our rules. (AP) Okay, you're being chased by a club-footed vampire zombie with a chainsaw. Your options are to run into the woods, hide in a dark mineshaft or turn and face him with only a fork as a weapon. What do you do, hotshot? What - do - you - do? Since we all cringe every time a "victim" seals his or her fate, surely we're the go-to experts on how to outwit those zombies, maniacal killers, possessed personages and P.O.'d dead janitors, right? Okay then, smartie, share your rules for how to survive a horror film -- as few or as many as you like. I'll start: 1. Don't babysit at homes more than half-an-acre away from another house or busy road. 2. Do not ever, under any circumstance, have sex or engage in any other kind of love-making....
By Liz | October 27, 2006; 10:43 AM ET | CommentsComments (97)
Celebrity Halloween Costume Help
You realize, I hope, that Halloween is the perfect excuse to dress like a celebrity? It is your chance to release your inner [insert celeb's name here] without making a complete jack-o-lantern of yourself. I'm still figuring out my costume, but here are a few helpful sites for anyone else out there hoping to work a little transformation: Mr. Liz models Forbes' Borat mask. (Photo by Liz Kelly for washingtonpost.com) -- Who will the top pop culture costumes of 2006 be? AOL suggests Mel Gibson, Taylor Hicks and Mariah Carey to the mix. -- Forbes.com provides handy printable masks of celebs like Borat, Lindsay Lohan, Katie Couric, Mark Foley (eeks) and more. Just print, pop out a couple eye holes and attach with a string. -- Retrocrush provides a gallery of the worst costumes of all time. I include this to ward everyone away from the Gabe-Kaplan-in-a-Box costume. -- On...
By Liz | October 25, 2006; 11:05 AM ET | CommentsComments (11)
Nobody Bothers Me, Either
A special afternoon update for anyone who grew up in the D.C./Baltimore metropolitan area. It's enough to bring a tear to the eye: (Via Hustler of Culture)...
By Liz | October 20, 2006; 01:00 PM ET | CommentsComments (0)
Hump Day Helper: NotStarring.com
Can you imagine an "American Beauty" without Kevin Spacey? Imagine, instead of Spacey, Chevy Chase pumping iron in his garage and taunting Annette Bening as Lester Burnham in the 1999 Academy Award-winning Best Picture. Luckily, we never had to find out if Chase was up to the task. Thanks to the U.K.'s Guardian, though, for publishing this list of stars who almost starred in some of the biggest movies of the last century. Shudder at the thought of Kevin Costner as "The Matrix's" Neo or Julia Roberts trying to hobble her way through an English accent (again) in "Shakespeare in Love." (Kate Winslet also apparently turned down the role that won Gwyneth Paltrow an Oscar, according to a recent EW interview.) Look over the Guardian's list and check out the new site notstarring.com for more near-misses (like O.J. Simpson as the Terminator). This site is good for at least 30...
By Liz | October 11, 2006; 10:45 AM ET | CommentsComments (4)
Ready to Get 'Lost'?
Dude, I'm like so ready. (Reuters) I thought I'd hold off on posting about "Lost" until Thursday morning so we could kick off the season-long conversation actually having some new information with which to work. But, duh, wouldn't it be much more practical to spend the next 60 hours or so swapping speculation, rumors and predictions about the coming season? Absolutely. All we officially know about Wednesday night's episode is its title "A Tale of Two Cities" and, from an ABC press release, that "Jack, Kate and Sawyer begin to discover what they are up against as prisoners of 'The Others.'" The rest is, as they say, a big ol' cliffhanger. Did Mr. Eko and Locke survive the exploding hatch? What about Desmond -- did he save the island or set the castaways on a collision course with the Others? Will Michael and Walt really leave or will Michael's...
By Liz | October 2, 2006; 10:58 AM ET | CommentsComments (0)
Be a Virtual Celebrity Stylist
Beefcake Jake and Naughty Camilla. (Courtesy Stardoll.com) I spent much of this morning playing with dolls. Virtual celebrity paperdolls, so I was working, you see. The fruit of my ground-breaking research is Jake Gyllenhaal dressed like one of the Village People, a tarted-up Camilla Parker Bowles and an amusing (to me) tableau of Tom Cruise coming out of the closet as Katie langorously looks on from a nearby couch. This morning of mischeviousness was made possible by Stardoll.com, a site that claims to target the 7- to 17-year-old set of budding celebrity worshippers. I freely admit that I took what seems to be a pretty neat fan/social networking site for building mindless brand loyalty in younguns and used its slick tools to satisfy my own offbeat sense of humor. It's addictive. You can spend a significant amount of time here dressing up -- or down -- caricatures of Dolly...
By Liz | September 29, 2006; 11:49 AM ET | CommentsComments (0)
Celebritology, the Religion
In the beginning, washingtonpost.com had a great idea. It would be a blog about culture and simultaneously feed and examine the insatiable appetite for celebrity gossip, photos and general table scraps. It would be called "Celebritology." The Church of Celebritology marches in Telluride's 2005 Independence Day parade. (Photo courtesy Brian Werner) Brian Werner, a Telluride, Colo., technical consultant also had a great idea. It involved turning a magnifying glass on our culture's burgeoning idolization of actors, musicians, models and bold names in general. He would also call it "Celebritology" and, along with a busload of friends, march in a 2005 Independence Day parade carrying signs bearing images of the new gods -- Tom, Katie, Brad, Angie, Madge, Lindsay -- and messages like "What Would J.Lo Do?," "Britney's Baby Will Be Bring Balance to the Force" and (my favorite) "Jim Caviezel Died for Our Sins." It was inevitable that one day,...
By Liz | September 26, 2006; 11:34 AM ET | CommentsComments (12)
'Rock Star': You Be the Judge
Truly we live in a wondrous age. We are able to order live Maryland crabs online, watch movies (or parrots) while driving a minivan and, in this era of unprecedented plenty, there is indeed a reality show for everyone. My reality show is "Rock Star." Yes, it's contrived and a little more Disney than CBGB, but dammit, any show that can recast tattooed former junkies into a lovable panel of show hosts gets my vote as quality entertainment. L - R: Toby, Patrice, Dilana, Storm, Ryan, Lukas and Zayra. (Getty Images) This season in particular has captured my imagination. Perhaps because I have a soft spot for Tommy Lee or because Gilby Clarke was a part of Guns N Roses or because Jason Newstead has rocked a Voivod shirt in at least one show a week since the beginning of the competition. I'm not sure why, but I don't want...
By Liz | September 7, 2006; 10:45 AM ET | CommentsComments (58)
Sizing Up Movie Musicals
Today is a momentous day in the history of television, what with Rosie and Katie's big debuts. That's why I thought it would be a good idea to turn our attention to something completely different and of much more pressing import: movie musicals. Judy Garland warbles a little song about rainbows in 1939's "The Wizard of Oz." (AP/Warner Bros. Pictures) The American Film Institute (AFI) has been up to its old tricks again, releasing yet another list created, it would seem, solely to vex the movie-loving public. This time the group has listed what it deems to be the "25 Greatest Movie Musicals of All Time." AFI's list is topped by "Singin' in the Rain," which is a fine film, but no "Sound of Music" (which surprisingly only rated as fourth best). The top five is rounded out by "West Side Story," "The Wizard of Oz" and "Cabaret." (Full List)...
By Liz | September 5, 2006; 10:45 AM ET | CommentsComments (54)
Catching Up with Robbie Rist
I am a dork. A huge dork. You read the blog, you know this. I am caught up in "Rock Star: Supernova," I wrote a thesis yesterday about "Celebrity Duets" and I admittedly worship a William Shatner video. We all have issues. Cousin Oliver, circa 1974. I wasn't aware of how big of a dork I am, though, until I was on the phone with a certain Robbie Rist and spied my reflection in my darkened computer monitor. I was grinning from ear to ear like a corn-syrup-addled six-year-old. That's because Rist is, you guessed it, the guy in the picture to the right here. Cute, wholesome, precocious Cousin Oliver from "The Brady Bunch" and if you, too, were reared by the television in the early- to mid-70s, the Bradys are also a part of your extended family. So, when I found myself talking to Rist on Tuesday, I knew...
By Liz | August 31, 2006; 10:40 AM ET | CommentsComments (28)
'Survivor's' Dis-Integration
We may not live in an era with a snazzy moniker like "Enlightenment" or "Rennaissance" or even "Industrial Revolution," but at least we can say we were around for the decline of Western civilization. There is no clearer harbinger of the end times than the avalanche of reality shows jockeying for our scant TV viewing attention -- from "Extreme Makeover's" Frankensteinish reinvention of average Joes and Jills to the intimate peeks inside soon-to-fail celebrity marriages to unapologetic teens squandering their parents' disposable income on Sweet 16 parties to adults who will eat bugs or face extreme danger for the opportunity to one day evade taxes -- our society reached its acme sometime in the mid-70s. We are Caligula at this point. Me, I'm tempted to crawl into a fetal position with my Betamax and watch the glory days of TV -- you know, "Alice," "Falcon Crest," "The Brady Bunch" (that...
By Liz | August 24, 2006; 10:43 AM ET | CommentsComments (0)
Tom & Jerry, Bad Influences?
Today we take a step back from the world of celebrity to pay a visit to the world of cartoons. It's okay, you'll be comfortable here. There's not much difference: a cast of exaggerated characters all clamoring for your attention span. The only difference? The cartoons are one-dimensional. Oh, wait. Well, at least they're not smoking. (Courtesy Hanna-Barbera) In particular, yesterday afternoon I ran across a story about Turner Broadcasting which is currently scouring its catalog of 1,500 hours of Hanna-Barbera cartoons to remove scenes that "glamorize" smoking. The move is in response to one viewer's complaint about an episode of "Tom and Jerry." A Turner spokesperson said the viewer complained about a cartoon in which Tom lights a cigarette in an attempt to impress a female cat and that only cartoons "where smoking could be deemed to be cool or glamorized," would be cut and that scenes in which...
By Liz | August 22, 2006; 10:45 AM ET | CommentsComments (0)
K-Fed Up With the Teen Choice Awards
A decade and a half away from my teenage years, I am not ashamed to say that I thoroughly enjoyed watching last night's Teen Choice Awards. And by "thoroughly enjoyed" I mean an evening spent engaging in adolescent-style criticisms and witticisms about the entire production, ably assisted by my equally juvenile husband. Confession: As K-Fed performed I wished that Ludacris and Snoop Dogg would suddenly spring onto the stage, ninja style, and lock him in his piano. (AP) Still, some things about the show remain cryptic to my age-addled brain. No doubt there were parts of the production understood only by consumer culture drones between the ages of 13 - 19. Perhaps some teen, or the parent of a teen, can answer my lingering questions from last night's show: 1. Why was there a hot tub full of girls on the corner of the stage? I have to admit I...
By Liz | August 21, 2006; 10:48 AM ET | CommentsComments (49)
For Bill Shatner, Phasers Set to Roast
William Shatner poses for photographers ahead of his Comedy Central roast. Browse a gallery of the night's attendees. (AP) William Shatner. His very name bespeaks of the past tense of, umm, something bears do in the woods. It suggests that he was once hot something but is now the past tense of that something. True enough, though he has found a post-Trek life on ABC's moderately successful "Boston Legal." It's "Star Trek," though, that made him a cultural icon and, tapping into this, Comedy Central wisely chose him as the latest honoree in their too infrequent roasts (The last roast, of Pam Anderson, is worth catching in re-run). "Star Trek," coincidentally, celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. There's no shortage of rich material (expect jokes about Shatner's halting speech, his "music" career, his status as a Trekkie god, his girth) or of quality roasters (Carrie Fisher, Betty White, Nichelle...
By Liz | August 18, 2006; 10:43 AM ET | CommentsComments (11)
10 Things You Should Know About 'Snakes on a Plane'
In our lifetimes, an event of epic proportions is about to unfold. It has been foretold. As we speak, pilgrimages are being made to greet its arrival. Although not yet among us, it is already famous and it promises to change the course of... this weekend, if not cinema history. Samuel L. Jackson. Snake. Plane. (Photo courtesy New Line Cinema) I'm talking about "Snakes on a Plane" (SoaP) and, based on the hype surrounding this movie, the above paragraph is an understatement. But. If you're anything like me you have been cautiously monitoring this "SoaP" hullabaloo from afar, casually bemused by the posters, the promise of Samuel L. Jackson portraying yet another bad ass (he's just so good at it) and the prospect of over-the-top fake critter violence not seen since "Anaconda" or "Piranha." But, again, if you're like me, that's where your knowledge ends. Help is at hand. Your...
By Liz | August 17, 2006; 10:19 AM ET | CommentsComments (28)
Friday List: Movie Jerks We Love to Hate
James Spader: I'm not a jerk, but I play one on TV -- and on the big screen. (ABC) GQ recently published a list of Movie Jerks. Well, their title is a bit saltier, but this being The Washington Post Web site, we don't go in for slang. Ahem. What constitutes a movie jerk? Think James Spader in "Pretty in Pink" or Craig Sheffer in "Some Kind of Wonderful" -- the smug, assured pretty boy who delights in crushing the dreams of friends and foes alike. GQ's list, below, concentrates mainly on '80s movies: 1. Billy Zabka as Johnny Lawrence "The Karate Kid", 1984 2. Bradley Cooper as Zachary "Sack" Lodge "Wedding Crashers", 2005 3. James Daughton as Greg Marmalard "National Lampoon's Animal House", 1978 4. Eriq La Salle as Darryl Jenks "Coming to America", 1988 5. Robert Prescott as Cole Whittier "Bachelor Party", 1984 6. Ted McGinley as...
By Liz | August 11, 2006; 10:30 AM ET | CommentsComments (55)
Aging Action Heroes: The Perfect Vintage
With Sylvester Stallone resurrecting both the Rocky and Rambo franchises and Harrison Ford on tap to reprise his role as Indiana Jones one more time, it isn't that much of a stretch to imagine other action heroes of yesteryear eagerly queuing up to reanimate characters ripe for some boomer-style butt kicking. Bruce Willis. (DON EMMERT/AFP/Getty Images) The latest addition to this buffet of "mature" hams is Bruce Willis, who is on tap to make a fourth "Die Hard" movie as detective John McClane in "Live Free or Die Hard," tentatively planned for an Independence Day 2007 release. The flavor of the millennium thus far has cast most of our big budget action stars as superheroes -- with no old reliable opponent (i.e. The Cold War and the Soviet threat), Hollywood has turned its action agenda over to comic book heroism. We have Batman, X-Men (and women), Superman, Electra, etc., but...
By Liz | August 8, 2006; 10:45 AM ET | CommentsComments (19)
Friday List: The Uncoolest Cuts
Anyone ever heard of Q magazine? Hunh. Me either, but thanks to Q anyway for providing us with fodder for another Friday List. Q recently published a list of "Uncool Songs It's Okay to Admit You Love." Although Q published an "official" list, I contend that the list is a very personal experience, different for all of us. Perhaps more than anything, this list reveals much about our personalities and desires. I think we can all admit that we have an ideal "me" we try to project to the world -- depending on who you are, that ideal me may wear a Motorhead T-shirt and drive a Prius or wear Gwen Stefani's L.A.M.B. line of clothes and ride comfortably in a Porsche. Either way, we are saying this is who I want to be and I want the world to know it. But, when you admit to liking an uncool...
By Liz | August 4, 2006; 10:42 AM ET | CommentsComments (246)
McDreamy's Makeover
© 2006 ABC, Inc. There are two kinds of people in this world: Those who know Patrick Dempsey as the African-anteater-dancing, extra-anchovy-pizza-delivering nerd from his '80s movies, and those who know him as TV's sexy Dr. Derek Shepherd from Grey's Anatomy and other appearances in the aughts. Kids these days (if one can say that at 33) may find it hard to believe that the Patrick some of us remember from "Can't Buy Me Love" and "Loverboy" was ever less than dreamy. Yet the second biggest thing to ever come out of Lewiston, Maine (it will always be tough to supplant Muhammad Ali vs. Sonny Liston, part II) has made a true transformation from totally geek to totally chic. His metamorphosis went slowly; a rather lean '90s (Ava's Magical Adventure and Bloodknot) gave way to a part in "Scream 3" in 2000. His career picked up steam with repeat...
By Michael Corones | July 27, 2006; 10:45 AM ET | CommentsComments (0)
Old People Movies: Why Not?
Careful readers of Celebritology may have noticed that its author can be less than completely charitable, at least when it comes to aspiring poets, singers and, frankly, most of you. But even though I sat next to Liz at work for a year, I had no idea how deeply sadistic she was until she insisted that I sub for her today. Liz, you see, knows that I have about as much insight into the world of celebrity as Ralph Nader -- who reminds us in his breezy, non-pedantic way that medical breakthroughs matter more than Madonna. Sure, I read the headlines in the checkout line. But I don't open the magazines. I'm aware that Michael Jackson has developed some irritating habits, but honestly couldn't tell you which country has most recently accepted his visa application. Fine, I thought when I accepted Liz's challenge, all I have to do is flack...
By Hal Straus | July 26, 2006; 10:25 AM ET | CommentsComments (0)
A Communal '80s Mix Tape
Was "Billie Jean" the greatest song released in the '80s? Run DMC's "Raising Hell". (Courtesy of Arista Records) According to British magazine Q it is, but we know better: that you can't really choose one best '80s song because there were so many. Hence the recent uptick in '80s oldies stations, the bulk of VH1 Classic's programming and revival bands like D.C.'s fabulous Legwarmers. Although Q listed its version of a top five list, why stop there? Use the comments area to add your own top five or 10 '80s songs. By the end of the day we should have the makings of a great iTunes playlist (or "mix tape" to stick to the '80s vernacular), suitable for mid-summer hi-fi blasting. Q's Top Five: 1. "Billie Jean" (Michael Jackson) 2. "Blue Monday" (New Order) 3. "Kiss" (Prince) 4. "Walk This Way" (Aerosmith/Run DMC) 5. "Sweet Child O' Mine" (Guns n'...
By Liz | July 12, 2006; 10:44 AM ET | CommentsComments (135)
Two Coreys Are Better Than One
Once upon a time there were two boys named Corey: Corey Feldman and Corey Haim. In the course of a decade they went from cool to kitsch, from potential River Phoenixes to, well, a two-headed C-list monster known as "The Coreys." We loved them, we hated them, we loved to hate them. For years now, wistful 30-somethings like me have dared to dream a little dream that the Coreys would find their way back to the limelight together. Feldman has released a couple albums (the refreshingly named "Former Child Actor"), appeared on a season of "The Surreal Life" and variously claimed Michael Jackson made him look at dirty pictures. Haim's recent history has been a bit more troubled. Although both Coreys can add addiction to their CVs, Haim suffered a drug-induced stroke in 2001. He now maintains he's clean and sober. Positive movement has finally been detected on the Corey...
By Liz | June 22, 2006; 10:44 AM ET | CommentsComments (10)
The Best Scare Fare
Let's take a break from celebrity gossip today to discuss something really important. In case you hadn't realized, today is in fact the number of the beast. My name is little creep boy. (AP/20th Century Fox) I'm not the only one sacrilegiously calling attention to the fact -- the day has been proclaimed the "National Day of Slayer" (though neither washingtonpost.com nor Celebritology endorse any of the suggested festivities) and 20th Century Fox has cleverly chosen today to open the Liev Shreiber/Julia Stiles remake of "The Omen." (There are also plenty of innocuous non-Lucifer-related associations with June 6, as well. For instance, National Yo-Yo day). Sure, "666" and horror films are the stuff that idiotic urban legends and a gazillion conspiracy theories are made of, but hey, who doesn't appreciate a good scary movie from time to time? Okay, I can name at least five people in my circle of...
By Liz | June 6, 2006; 10:52 AM ET | CommentsComments (0)
The Scales of Celebrity Spokesmanship
"Celebrity spokesperson" usually invokes images of late night infomercials and '70s TV stars -- you know, flashes of Victoria Principal tending her auburn locks with a Flowbee* or Suzanne Somers detailing, in repetitive childlike tones, the glories the ThighMaster. "It's Suntory time." (AP/Focus Features) "Celebrity spokesperson" is a stop on the way down from stardom. Think Bill Murray's washed-up actor filming Japanese whiskey commercials in "Lost in Translation." Haven't had a regular job since the "Bionic Woman"? Fear not, you can find your way back into living rooms (of shut-ins and insomniacs) on late night Sleep Number Bed infomercials. "Celebrity spokesperson" is not to be confused with "The new face of..." as in "Madonna is the new face of H&M." In such cases we understand that H&M is grovelingly thankful to be paying Madonna beaucoup bucks to appear in glossy mag ads. But there's been a disturbance in the force....
By Liz | June 2, 2006; 10:45 AM ET | CommentsComments (7)
Hair-Raising Celebrity Fetishes
The cult of celebrity has been known to inspire strange behavior in otherwise normal folk. From collectors of movie star postcards to Elvis impersonators and autograph hounds (fyi, Autograph Collector magazine recently named Johnny Depp the best signer), celebrity fetishism is no longer all that outré. John Reznikoff, celebrity hair collector. (Photo courtesy John Reznikoff) But this morning when I read about John Reznikoff's collection, even I wrinkled my nose and uttered a little "Ewww." Reznikoff, you see, holds the Guinness World Record for the "largest and most valuable collection of celebrity hair." Yes, hair. Now, putting aside all sorts of fascinating details (like where did he get this hair? How does he store it? How much hair constitutes a genuine sample -- just one strand or must it be a lock and how does he trace the authenticity?), why hair? According to a February interview with Maxim magazine, Reznikoff...
By Liz | May 15, 2006; 10:48 AM ET | CommentsComments (0)
Mr. T's A Game
An American icon: Mr. T. (AP) There's just something about Mr. T that makes one smile. At least this one. C'mon, we loved him in "Rocky III," "The A-Team" and the 1-800-COLLECT ads. And how many of us wouldn't be able to identify an "I pity the fool" reference in three syllables or less? The man is a bona fide cultural treasure. And finally someone in a position to do something about it has offered T a ticket back to the small screen -- and not in a demeaning "Surreal Life" second act. T will be the star of his very own weekly advice show. That's right, advice show. From the official TV Land press release: TV Land has picked up six episodes of this Dr. Phil-meets-Tony-Robbins reality show in which Mr. T stars in the unlikely role of social scientist traveling across the country to dispense his own...
By Liz | May 3, 2006; 10:43 AM ET | CommentsComments (10)
"Mission" Impervious?
This may come as a surprise to folks who forgot that, in addition to being a complete freak of nature an outspoken Scientologist, Tom Cruise is also an actor and this Friday, in theaters nationwide, his latest movie -- "Mission: Impossible III" -- opens. Tom Cruise and Michelle Monaghan in a scene from "Mission: Impossible III." (AP) What seems like decades ago, Tom Cruise was just an actor -- like him or hate him -- living the life of your average Hollywood leading man. He racked up some respectable performances ("Rainman," "Magnolia"), some box office hits ("Top Gun," "Jerry Maguire") and some real stinkers ("Cocktail," "Eyes Wide Shut") and he had what seemed like a pretty typical personal life, complete with a string of starlets for mates -- Mimi Rogers, Nicole Kidman and a short-lived romance with Penelope Cruz. Funny how things change. Was it only a year ago that...
By Liz | May 2, 2006; 10:43 AM ET | CommentsComments (194)
Rocking the Prime Time Line-Up, Part 2
On Friday, after word that Mick Jagger will star in his very own ABC sitcom this fall, I asked readers to come up with alternate sitcom pitches (because surely we can do better than the current Jagger premise -- a group of New Yorkers trying to rob his apartment. Talk about mission improbable.) For the Simpsons, a bite of reality. Anyhoo, you came through with some excellent concepts. See the full range of offerings here. A few of the best are excerpted below. Cat Scratch Liver: Ted Nugent gets a liver transplant and has to take a job in a veterinarian clinic. (JP Evans) Money for Nothing: Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler teaches buttoned-down students from New England prep schools how to become petty street criminals and pickpockets. (Ed) The Simpsons: Jessica and Ashlee Simpson both gain 50 pounds and learn how difficult the life of a musician is when...
By Liz | May 1, 2006; 10:43 AM ET | CommentsComments (2)
Rocking the Prime Time Line-Up
I see a sitcom and I want to paint it black. (AP) As noted earlier this week, Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger is slated to star in his own TV sitcom this fall on ABC. So far, the premise is a bit fuzzy, but U.K.'s Guardian newspaper confirms Jagger has completed work on a pilot and describes the show as a "24-part series about a group of hard-up New Yorkers who decide to rob Mick Jagger." The working title? "Let's Rob Mick Jagger." Oooohkay. We can do better than that. This thing could be the latest in the wave of crossover TV stars and our ticket to pilot gold. If captains of industry (Donald Trump) and princesses of trust funds (Paris Hilton) can make it on the small screen, why not Mick and a slew of other former guitar slingers? There have to be halls-of-fame full of aging rockers...
By Liz | April 28, 2006; 10:43 AM ET | CommentsComments (17)
Stars, They're Just Like Us!
Or are we just like them? Maybe not yet, but with an explosion of celebrity designed or endorsed clothing lines, make-up, perfume and jewelry it's easier than ever to wear our celebrity brand loyalty on our sleeves, so to speak. Happy Homeowner Hilary Duff. (ShowbizIreland/Getty Images) Tonight, the latest guide to help us keep up with the Joneses (or the Jones Reynolds) debuts at 9 p.m. ET on the Style Network. "My Celebrity Home" will help us average folk learn to make our homes pretentious just a little bit more like those of our favorite stars: After exclusive tours of stars' posh pads -- Hilary Duff shares the secrets of her special sewing room, Kathy Griffin shows off her hip L.A. digs -- host Peter Marr joins forces with a lucky average homeowner and a famous designer to re-create the high-end look without the Hollywood price tag. Sewing room? I'd...
By Liz | April 26, 2006; 10:44 AM ET | CommentsComments (3)
The Results: Greatest Stories Ever Filmed
On Friday, we turned our attention to a list compiled by a select set of British critics -- a list purporting to inventory the 50 greatest film adaptations of novels (and some short stories). To recap, the list -- though a good start and inclusive of some true greats -- seemed to come up a bit short. Is the Guardian's list the wrong mix or is 50 just too small a number to narrow down what is proving to be a particularly fertile field? No one seemed as miffed as me at the "Lord of the Rings" snub, but plenty were surprised that E.M. Forster and Edith Wharton were categorically shut out. Kurosawaguy also reminded us of another venue for adaptations we might want to include: "Although it is a TV mini series, I think that 'Lonesome Dove' is perhaps the best novel to film translation I've seen." Without further...
By Liz | April 24, 2006; 10:43 AM ET | CommentsComments (30)
The Greatest Stories Ever Filmed
Earlier this week, U.K.'s Guardian newspaper published a list of the 50 best films adapted from novels of all time. Voters (sadly, in Great Britain only) will decide which of the 50 deserves the ultimate title of best adaptation when the winner is revealed in May. Gregory Peck and Mary Badham in 1962's "To Kill a Mockingbird." (AP) Although we can't officially vote, we can still have our own fun scanning what looks to be a pretty delectable list. "Breakfast at Tiffany's," "The Godfather," "Pride and Prejudice" and a slew of other expected inclusions are nicely flanked by some less obvious titles, like "Trainspotting" and "Watership Down." The American Screenwriters Association also recently released a list of 100 top adapted screenplays topped by "To Kill a Mockingbird." There are some notable scripts here that are not included in the Guardian's list: "Gone With the Wind," "The Color Purple" and --...
By Liz | April 21, 2006; 10:43 AM ET | CommentsComments (30)
Lindsay Lohan, Wonder Wha?
Wonder Woman Lynda Carter (left, courtesy Warner Bros.) and Not-Wonder-Woman Lindsay Lohan (Getty Images). Lindsay Lohan has done something very irresponsible. In an interview that has been floating around the blogosphere for several months, she tossed off a comment about her desire play Wonder Woman (which has a chance of being cool since Joss Whedon is attached to write, despite my aversion to remakes). Why exactly, Lindsay? "Wonder Woman would be cool... I'm trying to find roles right now that are different to anything I've done to show my abilities, to show that I have some sort of stretch in me. Because most of the things that I've done so far are aimed at younger girls and are light-hearted." A answer a bit closer to the truth probably would have been "I want to wear a really hot superhero costume and high-heeled red boots and kick some bad guy...
By Liz | March 24, 2006; 10:43 AM ET | CommentsComments (22)
Rock and Roll Sabotage
Tonight in a ceremony in Cleveland, Ohio, Black Sabbath -- along with Blondie, the Sex Pistols, Lynyrd Skynyrd and jazz icon Miles Davis -- will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Since Black Sabbath is one of my favorite bands, I am understandably upset about this. Black Sabbath circa 1970. (Photo courtesy black-sabbath.com) Here's why: I've never understood the significance of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (hereafter to be referred to as "RRHOF" because I'm tired of typing it out). Sure, it's a nice gesture for the bands and makes for yet another thing to do when visiting Cleveland, but what exactly does inclusion in the RRHOF mean? Not much if you ask one John Michael Osbourne who in 1999, exasperated at being passed over for so many years, demanded that Black Sabbath be removed from consideration for inclusion in the "totally irrelevant" institution....
By Liz | March 13, 2006; 10:44 AM ET | CommentsComments (0)
'Flavor' Leaves a Bad Aftertaste
For anyone who hasn't chanced upon the train wreck that is VH1's "Flavor of Love," you'll have your final chance on Sunday when the season finale airs at 10 p.m. ET. The show's premise is a lot like "The Bachelor": Former Public Enemy sidekick Flavor Flav starts out with 20 women all living in one house, vying for a chance to be Mrs. Flav. The field is slowly narrowed down as they primp, gossip, plot against each other and jump through inane hoops to prove their love for Flavor. Reality TV poster child Flavor Flav and "Strange Love" Brigitte Nielson in 2004. (Post) There's something about Flavor Flav you just have to love. Sure, he's a little "eccentric" and despite the fact that he should be a footnote (though an important one) in the history of hip-hop, he's still out there working it and on his own terms. But that...
By Liz | March 10, 2006; 10:43 AM ET | CommentsComments (0)
