Category Archives: Entertainment

2011 Golden Globe winners: ‘The Social Network’, ‘The Kids Are Alright’, ‘Boardwalk Empire’, ‘Glee’

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Honestly, every year the Golden Globes telecast just comes across as drab.  Where are the shiny musical numbers, the high-spirited jokes?  Host Ricky Gervais was funny, but he promoted a rather dreary atmosphere with his harsh jabs at many celebrities.  But let’s move on to the night’s big winners, shall we?

Movies… The Social Network was the night’s big winner.  In addition to winning Best Picture (drama), director David Fincher, screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, and composers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross were recognized for their contributions to the film.  The Kids Are All Right was named Best Picture (comedy or musical), and Annette Bening beat out her co-star Julianne Moore for Best Actress (comedy or musical).  The Fighter took home a pair of wins; Christian Bale and Melissa Leo won Best Supporting Actor and Actress (drama), respectively.  Other notable mentions: Natalie Portman won Best Actress (drama) for her star role in Black Swan; Colin Firth won Best Actor (drama) for his role in The King’s Speech; Paul Giamatti was Best Actor (comedy or musical) for Barney’s Version; and joining Portman in the “duh!” category was Toy Story 3 for Best Animated Feature.  Quote of the night came from TS3‘s director Lee Unkirk when he described his film as “an animated movie that beat with a human heart.”  No love for Inception‘s brilliant director and soundtrack, unfortunately.

Television… Boardwalk Empire and Glee were the night’s big winners in the TV categories.  The HBO Prohibition-era show won Best Drama and its star Steve Buscemi took home Best Actor (drama); that’s right–Mad Men finally met its match.  Glee won Best Comedy or Musical for the second consecutive year, and Chris Colfer and Jane Lynch were crowned by Best Supporting Actors (comedy or musical).  Fun fact: Colfer and Lynch are the youngest and oldest Globe winners at 20 and 50 years old, respectively.  Other notable mentions: Jim Parsons won Best Actor (comedy or musical) for his fantastic role as Sheldon Cooper on The Big Bang Theory; Sons Of Anarchy‘s Katey Sagal (surprisingly) beat out Julianna Margulies, Elisabeth Moss, Piper Perabo, and Kyra Sedgwick for Best Actress (drama); and Laura Linney (The Big C) topped Tiny Fey, Collette, Falco, and Lea Michele for Best Actress (comedy or musical).  The Walking Dead and Modern Family will surely be recognized next year, let’s hope.

Click here for the full list of winners.

IBM’s Watson supercomputer vs. humans in a game of Jeopardy

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On February 14, 15, and 16 two Jeopardy champions Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter will face off against each other and a supercomputer named Watson.  Named after IBM founder Thomas J. Watson, the supercomputer is comprised of 10 racks full of IBM Power 750 servers, with 15 terabytes of RAM and 2,880 processors operating at a collective 80 teraflops.  To say this machine is powerful is a grand understatement.  With Watson, IBM’s goal was to “build a computing system that rivals a human’s ability to answer questions posed in natural language with speed, accuracy and confidence.”  And that it does.  As you can see the in the video above, Watson performed extremely well at last week’s practice round of Jeopardy before the February main event.  IBM has created a terrifyingly smart machine in Watson; not only does it simply answer questions but it also intuitively understands the questions being asked, buzzes in, and speaks in human-ish voice (not unlike 2001‘s Hal).  In essence, when a question is asked Watson uses algorithms (brain power?) backed up by vast databases of learned knowledge to formulate a response.  Watson is not controlled by outside forces (i.e. humans) and it is not connected to the Internet, so technically it’s not cheating.

During its development period engineers threw thousands of questions at it and so now they believe it’s ready for prime time. “After four years, our scientific team believes that Watson is ready for this challenge based on its ability to rapidly comprehend what the Jeopardy! clue is asking, analyze the information it has access to, come up with precise answers, and develop an accurate confidence in its response,” said Dr. David Ferrucci, the scientist leading the IBM Research team behind Watson. “Beyond our excitement for the match itself, our team is very motivated by the possibilities that Watson’s breakthrough computing capabilities hold for building a smarter planet and helping people in their business tasks and personal lives.”

Or it will end up creating its own army of supercomputers and kill us all.  Wondering how Watson did at the completion of the practice round?  Watson: $4400. Jennings: $3400. Rutter: $1200.  Watch Watson dominate this February and prepare for J-Day.

[Via Engadget, here & here; IBM]

YouTube documentary ‘Life in a Day’ premieres January 27

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Remember that crowd-sourced documentary film attached to filmmakers Kevin Macdonald and Ridley Scott I was telling you about back in early July?  Well it’s almost complete and ready for us to enjoy!  Here’s a quick refresher if you need it.  Life in a Day is described as “a historic cinematic experiment to document a single day on Earth.”  Director Macdonald and producer Scott asked people all around the world to film their day on July 24, 2010.  Over 80,000 video clips of people’s lives were submitted (over 4500 hours of footage), and a team of editors managed to whittle it all down into a 90 minute documentary film “that gives an honest and inspiring glimpse of our world.”  Of the 80,000 clips originally submitted, 1,125 of them made it into the final cut.  One of these chosen clips is embedded above; the beautifully shot clip called “Slim Up” was shot by by Toniu Xou and Patricia Martinez del Hoyoa of Spain and features a young girl climbing a human castle in the small town of San Jaume dels Domenys in the Spanish province of Tarragona.  This is just a sneak peak into what the film will encompass.  The film “really gives you a flavor of what it was like to be alive on 24th July 2010,” says Macdonald.

Life in a Day will premiere January 27 at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, and it will be broadcasted live on YouTube for everyone to see that day at 8PM EST.  Following the premiere the director of the Festival will conduct an interactive interview with Macdonald and the 20 top contributors of the film.  Starting Monday, January 24 you can submit questions and maybe yours will get picked when the interview is streamed after the film.

Bookmark the Life in a Day YouTube channel and check back there on the 27th at 8PM to watch what promises to be an exciting and curious look into a single day of humanity.  Look after the break to watch a recent and informative interview with Macdonald and editor Joe Walker.

Update: National Geographic has partnered up with YouTube to acquire the rights to bring the doc to the States. If you missed Life in a Day when it streamed online, it’s expected that Nat Geo will release it in theatres on July 24, 2011; yes, that is exactly one year after all the footage was shot.  A DVD release with bonus content will follow.

[Via YouTubeBlog; Deadline] Continue reading YouTube documentary ‘Life in a Day’ premieres January 27 →

Beatles music sells like hotcakes on iTunes

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In mid-November, Apple Inc. and Apple Corps. put their differences aside and finally agreed to put the entire Beatles music collection onto iTunes, the #1 retailer of music.  Now that some time has passed, it’s time to take a look at the sales figures, and boy are they mighty impressive.  Let’s do some comparing.  During its very first week on iTunes, record company EMI reported that 2 million songs and 450,000 albums were sold.  And now about two months later, Apple says iTunes customers have purchased 5 million songs and 1 million albums in total.  For music that’s over 40 years old, these numbers are certainly staggering but expected; Beatles music rocks and now people have an easily accessible way to get their hands on it.  Can you guess what the most popular song and album is?  Well here’s your answer: “Here Comes the Sun” and Abbey Road, respectively.

[Via EW-MusicMix]

Michael Scott to check out of ‘The Office’ early

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After seven seasons of laughs, Steve Carell is ready to leave his position as Dunder Mifflin/Sabre’s Office boss.  But you knew that already.  What you didn’t know is that the producers have planned an exit strategy that involves Carell leaving the show earlier than you might have expected.  “Steve is leaving earlier than the [season finale],” reveals executive producer Greg Daniels.  “The big ‘Goodbye, Steve’ thing will be before [May] sweeps.”  He continues, “Our basic plan is to see the jockeying and interviewing [for Michael’s job], and not have that happen off-camera and suddenly present America with the choice. We’d rather play out the stories of the various characters who want that seat, and show them fight for it.”

Although Carell won’t hang on until the season finale, Daniels is excited about the episodes leading up to it.  “It’s kind of a fun situation, and the chaos is creatively exciting. Whenever something with big stakes happens, it leads to good episodes — and we will have a lot of significant things happening.”

Kathy Bates, who plays Sabre CEO Jo Bennett with mighty fine ‘tude, is coming back. “We’re going to play out the whole [replacement] process in a realistic way,” says Daniels. “And it’s always great to have Kathy here.”

The season finale, which will run an hour long and is expected to be written by Carell himself, will reveal Michael Scott’s successor and the immediate reaction from the employees.  “They’re all different people with strong personalities,” Daniels says, “so they each have a lot invested in who’s their new boss.”

It’s so sad to know these are the final episodes of The Office with Carell; it’s still hard for me to fathom how the show will go on without him.  It’s true, the ensemble cast is terrific, but he’s the backbone of it all.  At least we can expect some grade-A stories to come out of the build up leading to the big reveal at season’s end.  I’m really rooting for Amy Ryan’s Holly Flax to scoop Michael up and they live happily ever after.

Update: With Michael Scott leaving The Office, this opens up more story opportunities for the other main characters and you can expect the import of new characters.  “We’re trying to take Steve’s departure as an opportunity to shake things up and add some new characters,” says Daniels.  One of these new characters?  They are currently casting Stanley’s never-before-seen adult daughter to fill “a recurring (and potentially series regular)” role, according to TVLine.  She will be “one of several new characters” joining the show later this season.  Daniels continues, “They’ve been playing with this dynamic for so long… you kind of know how the stories are going to go. For Michael not to take up the A story in every episode means that a lot of them are getting the A stories now.”

[Via TVLine, here & here]

Ridley Scott’s ‘Alien’ prequel is now ‘Prometheus’

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Back in the summer of 2007, director Ridley Scott made it official that he was on board to helm a prequel feature film to his original 1979 cult classic Alien.  What has been referred to as “The Alien prequel” since then has suddenly morphed into something new and quite original.  Today studio-backer 20th Century Fox came out and formally announced the film as Prometheus and tacked on a March 9th, 2012 release date.

While the film will contain some “Alien DNA”, says Scott, it will explore new themes.  “While Alien was indeed the jumping off point for this project, out of the creative process evolved a new, grand mythology and universe in which this original story takes place. The keen fan will recognize strands of Alien’s DNA, so to speak, but the ideas tackled in this film are unique, large and provocative. I couldn’t be more pleased to have found the singular tale I’d been searching for, and finally return to this genre that’s so close to my heart.”

Damon Lindelof (Lost, Star Trek) has been working closing with Scott on the script.  “In a world flooded with prequels, sequels and reboots, I was incredibly struck by just how original Ridley’s vision was for this movie,” says Lindelof. “It’s daring, visceral and hopefully, the last thing anyone expects. When I sat in a movie theater as a kid, feet raised off the floor for fear that something might grab my ankles, I never dreamed in my wildest imagination I would one day get to collaborate with the man responsible for it. Working alongside him has been nothing short of a dream come true.”

As for casting, only Noomi Rapace has been signed on to play scientist Elizabeth Shaw and Fox says other roles “would be cast soon.”  I’m really looking forward to Prometheus.  If you recall, the three Alien sequels were helmed by different directors (James Cameron, David Fincher, and Jean-Pierre Jeunet, respectively), and so I’m intrigued that Scott is so confident he can inject new life into his original creation.

[Via Deadline]

NEW LOOK! Chris Evans in full Captain America costume

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We’ve already seen Chris Evans dressed as Captain America on the cover of EW’s October issue this past fall.  But check out this new look where we find Evans dressed in the FULL Cap costume, wing-accented helmet and all! I’m really digging the bold colors and the rugged material of the suit.  In fact, according to EW, Cap’s uniform “was designed to resemble a tricked-out airman’s jumpsuit.”  I like it.  Here’s a fun fact for you: According to costume designer Anna Sheppard, it takes Evans about 25 minutes to gear up.  She spills, “He likes to do it all by himself. I think it helps him feel like a super hero.”  Captain America: The First Avenger opens July 22, 2011.

Update: Another image has surfaced!  Hop after the break and take a gander.

[Via EW; Deadline; thanks, Kunal S.] Continue reading NEW LOOK! Chris Evans in full Captain America costume →

FIRST LOOK: Andrew Garfield is Spider-Man

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Here’s your first look at Andrew Garfield as young Peter Parker donning his super sleek Spider-Man suit.  In an interview with The Guardian, the Social Network star shared what it felt like to experience the suit. “I feel like a kid in my [pajamas],” he said. “I can only say how it feels and it feels pretty special. It feels like a dream [realized] and a fantasy [realized] and I don’t take it lightly and feel very, very lucky that I get to wear spandex for the next few months!”

Guess we’ll have to wait a bit longer to see the mask; perhaps it will be unveiled in the first theatrical trailer.  The Spider-Man reboot hits theatres in 3D July 3, 2012.

[Via MTV]

Trailer #2: Paul

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The official U.S. trailer of the upcoming Simon Pegg/Nick Frost sci-fi road trip comedy has hit the ‘Net.  In it you should spot Jane Lynch, Jason Bateman, Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, and other surprises.  If for some crazy reason you couldn’t recognize the alien’s voice–that’s Seth Rogen.  Feel free to rewatch the international trailer right here.  Paul hits theatres March 18, 2011.

Dominic Purcell the next ‘Spartacus’?

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Season 2 of Spartacus: Blood and Sand is nearly ready to begin production.  But there is one gaping hole left to fill: finding a strong replacement for cancer-striken Andy Whitfield.  After being diagnosed with early stage Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Whitfield was forced to dropped out of the show shortly after the first season concluded.  Last week Starz president Chris Albrecht said that the network is “confident that we will find an actor who can ably step into Spartacus’ sandals.”  Though Australian actor Liam McIntyre is rumored to be the selection, the casting call is apparently still open.  Prison Break star Dominic Purcell put together a screen test tape and sent it to the show’s producers.  Want to know the spark of irony here?  It was fellow Prison Break actor Wentworth Miller who initially expressed interest in taking over the role.  If you take a look at appearances alone, Purcell fits the bill over Miller due to his more Gladiator-like physique.  Anyhow, I’ll keep my ear to the ground and follow up on this story once the producers make their final decision.  Blood and Sand is tentatively scheduled for September 2011.  And don’t forget about the prequel series Spartacus: Gods of the Arena which premieres Friday, January 21 on Starz.

[Via Deadline]

CBS renews ‘The Big Bang Theory’ through the 2013-14 season

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Hope you like The Big Bang Theory because it’s not going anywhere for a very long time.  Today CBS renewed the nerd-tastic comedy three times over, confirming its stay on the most-watched network through the 2013-2014 season.  The news comes shortly after the show was crowned primetime’s #1 scripted series in adults 18-49 and the #2 comedy among viewers for the 2009-2010 season.  The show managed to successfully transition to its new Thursday 8PM slot where it’s been averaging 13.8 million viewers, that’s up 7 percent versus the year-ago time period.

CBS Nina Tassler: “It doesn’t take a theoretical physicist to see why this show is a BIG part of our comedy future. From ratings to critical acclaim to pop culture buzz, it’s struck a chord on all levels.  The creative genius of Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady and the on-camera talents of an amazing young ensemble have created a comedy that will entertain viewers for a long time.  We’re proud to partner with Warner Bros. on another highly successful, long-running comedy.”

Warner Bros. Television head Peter Roth: “We are delighted and grateful that CBS has once again rewarded The Big Bang Theory with a multiyear renewal. This is a testament to the inspired and brilliant work of the show’s entire creative team, and we look forward to continuing this highly successful partnership.”

I couldn’t be happier to know that Leonard, Sheldon, Penny, Howard, and Rajesh will be sticking around for years to come.  And here’s a nice TBBT scoop for you: Jessica Walter (aka Arrested Development‘s Lucille Bluth) will guest star in an upcoming episode slated to air in February.  According to TV Line, she will play “Barbara Latham, a wealthy donor to the university whose upcoming grant to the science department may be contingent upon Leonard compromising his virtue.”

[Via Deadline]