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November 18, 2009

Kristen's 'tude sparks angry tweets

Posted: 03:29 PM ET
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Kristen Stewart’s performance on the "Today" show this morning isn’t sitting well with “Twilight” fans who wish she would lighten up a little bit off the big screen.

The Twittersphere was all agog this morning after Stewart appeared on the "Today" couch with the entire morning show crew of Matt Lauer, Meredith Viera, Ann Curry and Al Roker, all of whom seemed to be getting a little Twi-crazy themselves.

“Kristen Stewart is just so boring. Looks boring. Acts as if shes bored. Shes plain boring,” Poppins__09 posted on Twitter after the interview.

“Omg. How can Kristen Stewart be an actress when she can't even answer a question in an interview without stuttering and being awkward,” aurenhayes7 also posted.

Stewart’s body language appeared quite unfriendly towards the bright and chipper group as she sat hunched over, her arms crossed against her chest, tapping her foot nervously up and down.

“Ughh kristen stewart cheer up already. you're on the today show,” helenutswoah posted on Twitter.

“Kristen Stewart on 'Today' was a waste of time. I wonder if her on 'Regis & Kelly' is going to be any better. It will have to wait for now,” wrote jesseboijai.

Unfortunately, the reviews of Stewart’s appearance on “Regis & Kelly” a mere hour later didn’t get any better.

“Ok Kristen Stewart on Regis & Kely today....awkward...studders in real life as in the movie...not a good actress...horrible interview!!!!” AmandaBarberio posted.

Granted, Stewart’s character in the “Twilight” series, Bella Swan, is a moody heartbroken teenager, so maybe she is just a very serious Method actress. Stewart also admitted to the "Today" crew that she had a cold and her interview during the 8 a.m. hour was the first of three television appearances in New York City just today.

But still, with a blockbuster movie about to hit screens and a rumored romance with every tween’s dream Robert Pattinson you would think that Kristen could put on the happy face for five minutes of an interview. Isn’t that what acting is all about?

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Filed under: Twilight


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Your pop culture cheat sheet

Posted: 01:59 PM ET
Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus

Here's what's happening in the world of entertainment today:

Sarah Palin's Monday appearance on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" was a big boost for Oprah's ratings: The Hollywood Reporter says that the last time her viewership was that good was in 2007 when the entire Osmond family appeared on the show.

Miley Cyrus is not a fan of the "Twilight" saga, EW.com reports. Cyrus told an Ohio radio station, "I’ve never seen [Twilight], and nor will I ever." Turns out she is not big on vampires and werewolves in general.

Variety reports that Jennifer Hudson has been cast as Winnie Mandela, wife of Nelson Mandela, South Africa's first black president, in the upcoming biopic "Winnie."

"Harry Potter" himself will appear on a future episode of "The Simpsons," EW.com reports. Daniel Radcliffe is the latest celebrity guest star for the show, now celebrating 20 years.

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Filed under: movies • music


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Who's in line for a film comeback?

Posted: 01:07 PM ET
Eric Roberts
Eric Roberts

A few days ago, I was playing trivia at a local restaurant when the host asked the players a question that didn't count for points. He merely wanted our opinion on a question that he'd been thinking about for some time.

What actor whose career has been on the decline and/or stalled would you like to see cast in a role that could essentially revive their standing in Hollywood?

The movie industry has shown us numerous examples of the career revival.  "Pulp Fiction" brought John Travolta's career back to life after a decade in poorly received films, while "The Wrestler" rejuvenated Mickey Rourke's career after several years out of the mainstream.

So who did I choose as warranting a career revival?  Much to the chagrin of the host, I made two picks - one actor and one actress.

Eric Roberts: Back in the 1980s, Eric Roberts was the man to cast if you wanted someone edgy, unpredictable and intense. Films like "The Pope of Greenwich Village" and "Runaway Train" showcased Roberts as an actor that demanded your attention whenever he appeared on screen.

But his career went downhill for personal and legal reasons and by the 1990s, Roberts was a regular on the made-for-TV and made-for-video movie circuits.  Roberts' fate was even spoofed in an episode of "Seinfeld," with Kramer praising his performance in a fictitious film he found at the video store.

Roberts has been steadily employed in both TV ("Less Than Perfect") and film ("The Dark Knight") in recent years, and he appears to have his life back on track again.  Yet he's missing that one role that could put him back on the A-list. Does one of our great directors have a leading part in their next film for him? Heck, I'd settle for Roberts playing Rod Blagojevich in a biopic on the former Illinois governor's life.

Mena Suvari: A decade ago, Suvari was Hollywood's "It girl." She was box office gold as Heather in the first two "American Pie" films, as well as Angela Hayes in the critically acclaimed "American Beauty."  She seemed to be destined for years of box office stardom.

But that didn't happen. Many of Suvari's recent films have either had a blink-or-you missed it run at the box office ("The Mysteries of Pittsburgh") or went straight-to-DVD (a 2008 quasi-remake of "Day of the Dead"). I can't put my finger as to why this has happened, but Suvari deserves better. Perhaps a big-name director will heed my call and cast her in a film worthy of her talents.

What actor do you think deserves another shot at something great? Who warrants a career revival?

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Filed under: movies


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Clint Eastwood: Our country is in a morbid mood

Posted: 09:23 AM ET
Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwood

GQ magazine will release its annual Men of the Year issue next week with five separate covers featuring five different types of noteworthy men.

President Obama made the list for the second year in a row as the “Leader of the Year.”  The magazine also honors Tom Brady for “Comeback of the Year”, Clint Eastwood  as “Badass of the Year”,  "The Hangover" stars Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, and Bradley Cooper as “Funnymen of the Year”, and Chris Pine of “Star Trek” for “Breakout of the Year”.

Eastwood, 79, whose latest film “Invictus” tells the true story of South African president and civil rights leader Nelson Mandela, didn’t mince words in the magazine discussing his negative feelings toward modern America.

"[The U.S. is] becoming more juvenile as a nation. The guys who won World War II and that whole generation have disappeared, and now we have a bunch of teenage twits,” the Academy Award winning actor and director told the magazine. "The world needs this kind of story nowadays. It's just ... everybody's so screwed up. It seems like our country's in kind of a morbid mood, because of the recession or whatever."

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady broached a lighter subject in the magazine – his marriage to supermodel Gisele Bundchen, telling GQ that they planned their wedding in just over a week, after dating for nearly three years.

“We planned it in like ten days, and it was perfect,” the Super Bowl champion said of his nuptials.

“We went back to the house and I barbecued aged New York strips. We had champagne, a cake, some ice cream. It was a great night. I think you always have this idea that weddings need to be 200 people and you invite everybody, and I’m all for it if people want to do that, but I think there was really something special about just having our parents there.’’

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Filed under: movies


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November 17, 2009

"Twi-hards" howl for the premiere of "New Moon"

Posted: 03:01 AM ET

On Monday night, I covered the Los Angeles premiere of "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" at the Mann Village Theater near UCLA... and before arriving, I had a pretty good idea of what to expect: screaming fans, posters of a shirtless Taylor Lautner; homemade signs with Robert Pattinson's name in glitter; tight security; etc. But when my photojournalist Chris Audick and I arrived, we were still amazed. Thousands of dedicated "Twi-hards" flooded the streets of Westwood, and they would not stop screaming. Even hours before any of the cast members arrived, loud shrieks, reminiscent of those black and white films of Beatles performances, could be heard from pretty much anywhere.

I had heard reports from local media of adoring fans camping out DAYS before the actual premiere – not to get tickets for the movie, but instead to hopefully get a glimpse of "Bella," "Jacob," or even "Edward."

It turns out those reports were right.

"I love all of this," said Tria Simpson, who came all the way from Minneapolis, Minnesota and had camped out since Friday. "You just feel all the excitement... and the craziness in the air. I'm sucking it all up."

Simpson says she and her friends played "Twilight" trivia games to keep themselves busy while anticipating Monday's festivities.

Another woman from Paso Robles, California, says she made sure her kids were safely home from school last Friday, then hopped in the car for a four-hour drive to Los Angeles. She even got a front row position at the premiere, where she could show off a drawing her five-year-old daughter made of "Edward" and "Bella."

"I think it's a great love story, it's amazing, I think everybody wants it – I'm married and I try to incorporate it into my marriage," she said.

Witnessing all of this was exciting... but it was nothing new for me. After all, I did cover the "Twilight" premiere last fall. As it turns out, I wasn't alone.

Dawn Sirtack of Los Angeles, who was wearing a large button of a steely-eyed "Edward" on her chest, says she was also at last year's premiere, and could hardly control herself this time around.

"We've been out since about Thursday morning... and we've got the best seat in the house."

Check out iReport video of the pandemonium at the premiere.

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Filed under: New Moon • Twilight


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November 13, 2009

'New Moon' beating 'Twilight' in advance tickets

Posted: 11:48 AM ET
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“New Moon” is already more popular than its predecessor “Twilight” when it comes to advance ticket sales.

 According to movie ticketing company Fandango, the vampire romance sequel currently ranks fourth in the company’s advance ticket sales list, surpassing “Twilight” at number 5.

“Ever since we started selling advance tickets to New Moon on August 31, the demand has been unstoppable, as the fan base just keeps growing every day,” said Fandango Chief Operating Officer Rick Butler. "'New Moon' is tracking to be Fandango’s number-one top advance ticket-seller of all time.”

The film, based on the bestselling vampire novels by Stephanie Meyer, hits theaters next Friday, November 20. Thousands of midnight screenings are already sold-out across the country.

According to a recent Fandango survey of more than 2,000 New Moon ticket-buyers, the first “Twilight” movie helped to fuel the fan frenzy over the book series and the movie saga with 55% of respondents saying that “Twilight” inspired them to read all of the books by Stephanie Meyer and 51% saying they plan to see “New Moon” more than once in the theater.

At this rate “New Moon” could potentially surpass the top three advance-selling movies of all time on the site, "Star Wars: Episode III  Revenge of the Sith", "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" and "The Dark Knight." 

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Filed under: New Moon • Twilight • movies


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November 11, 2009

Jessica Biel: Where are the good scripts for women?

Posted: 04:21 PM ET
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Jessica Biel doesn't have a tough time playing strong characters, but she does have a tough time finding great scripts written for women.

The actress talked to me about the challenges of finding those great roles in Hollywood during the promotion blitz for her new animated flick "Planet 51." In the film, she plays a teenage girl who is fiercely independent and questions authority when the government tries to convince everyone that aliens are taking over.

It's a strong role she relished playing. "I wanted to be in this movie  because I liked the idea that the character was a strong woman that young girls could look up to as a role model," she said.

But Biel also confided in me that although this script was a blessing, it was also a rarity. "It's rare to see good scripts that show good strong women. In Hollywood the number of well-written and great scripts which show women in strong positive roles are rare. On top of that there are so many talented women and there are not enough projects for everyone to really blossom. It's so disappointing that there isn't more material out there for actresses."

Lets hope that changes for Biel and the rest of the actresses in Hollywood!

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Filed under: celebrities • movies


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November 10, 2009

John Travolta's daughter Ella Bleu steals the show

Posted: 05:01 PM ET

John Travolta and his daughter Ella Bleu Travolta received mad love in Hollywood last night! The Los Angeles premiere of Travolta's upcoming comedy "Old Dogs" happened at the El Capitan Theatre with a sea of A-listers showing up in support of the film.  In addition to Travolta, his wife Kelly Preston and daughter Ella Bleu, Robin Williams also stars in the film. The movie centers around two bachelors and business partners, played by Travolta and Williams, whose lives change dramatically after one of them becomes the legal guardian of twins.

Williams, Rita Wilson, Tom Hanks, Seth Green, Forest Whitaker, Kevin Nealon, Lori Loughlin, Dax Shepherd, Jenna Elfman and Billy Idol all showed up to the premiere along with Travolta and his family. And like all premieres the stars of the movie were complimented, but the spotlight wasn't on them, but rather on Ella Bleu Travolta whose co-stars acknowledged her good acting skills  and generally agreed she shined in the role.

Williams said: "His daughter is really good. She really was good in the film and just watching him watching her was really good to see. " And Green said "I do think it's great that their daughter is genuinely a good actress and takes it very seriously. She did a good job."  Loughlin, who co-stars in the film, doted on her as well, "I think this is a really wonderful opportunity for Ella to make her film debut with both of her parents and I think it's so special for John and for Kelly to have this forever on film with their daughter at such a precious little age".

Sounds like Ella is on the fast track to becoming the next "IT" girl!

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Filed under: John Travolta • Tom Hanks • celebrities • movies


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Demi Moore prefers 'puma' title

Posted: 01:53 PM ET

Seemingly ageless actress Demi Moore turns 47 tomorrow and she is blaming her age on the loss of all the good blockbuster movie roles.

“The frustrating part is that the type of roles I'd be interested in are not really coming to me. I hate to say it's a function of my age – but yes, I think in some ways it is,” Moore told W magazine in their December issue. "The majority of [female] roles are geared between 25 and 35. I know I have an eccentric, obsessive-compulsive side. I'm looking for roles that reach into that quirkier place."

Moore has become more famous in recent years for her marriage to “That '70s Show” actor Ashton Kutcher, 16 years her junior, than for her acting chops. But even though she accepts all the press criticism with a quiet grace, the actress told the magazine she doesn’t understand why she has been singled out as the poster child for May-December relationships since she isn’t the first older woman to marry a much younger man in Hollywood.

“I’m certainly not the first person to be in a relationship with a younger man, but somehow I was plucked out as a bit of a poster girl,” Moore said of her six and half year relationship with Kutcher. “I don’t know why that is. But I just kind of step back sometimes and say, ‘There is some reason, and what is it that I have to share in a positive way?’”

The “Ghost “ actress also told the magazine if people feel the need to assign her a label she prefers the title “puma” to the more derogatory “cougar.”

While Moore may not be getting the big studio roles she does star in two upcoming independent films, “Happy Tears” and “The Joneses” with David Duchovny. She is also the face of Helena Rubinstein’s new “Wanted” perfume.

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Filed under: celebrities • movies


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November 9, 2009

"New Moon" behind the scenes

Posted: 04:15 PM ET

Yes, it’s true, “Twi-hards” – I spent my Friday and Saturday surrounded by all things “New Moon.” This included conversations with Robert, Taylor and Kristen – in the flesh. But first things first: if my event a few weeks ago with the Kardashians was as chaotic as the President coming into town, then no doubt about it, the process of screening “New Moon” Friday night was like trying to get a tour of the White House.

For press screenings, it’s usually protocol to check our cell phones and any recording devices with security. However, not once have I encountered a metal detector before entering the theater. Yup, you read correctly, metal detectors. The steps I went through before entering the theater began with checking in, driver's license in hand, and receiving a yellow wristband, then waiting in a very long line as security checked our wrists. Then we had to hand over our cell phones, BlackBerries, cameras, etc. Next, a line to check any bags we carried. Last but not least, two lines in front of theater number seven’s door, as two men with hand-held metal detectors scanned to check what we might still be carrying. Then began my two hours and 10 minutes of “New Moon.” By the way, Team Jacob fans: Taylor Lautner has a very nice six-pack, and it is seen plenty throughout the movie! (More on that in a later blog.)

Saturday, I spent about five hours talking (and waiting to talk) with 17 cast members from the movie: Rob, Kristen, Taylor, Chris the director, five members of the Cullens, four from the Wolfpack, and four Volturi members. I’m sure plenty of you would have loved to trade places with me, but this process is not what I would call an ideal day. Yes, Taylor and Robert shook my hand – and despite what many of you might have done, I did wash my hands later. Saturday certainly did not disappoint in the chaos department for me either. The number of press outlets present was amazing – from multiple online outlets all the way to the Hungarian channel, and of course CNN. I could really see the star status of the “Twilight Saga.” I shouldn’t be complaining – Kristen Stewart was my first interview of the day, but for her, I was number 31. About four hours in, Rob Pattinson was my second to last interview; he still had an hour of press after me. Coffee in hand and looking drained, he smiled and said, “I’m starting to speak a little rubbish.”

While I wouldn’t trade my job for anything, Friday and Saturday was still work for me. How big a fan of the “Twilight Saga” are you? And what would you have traded to be in my shoes?

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Filed under: New Moon • Twilight • movies


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