Paul Rudd on The Huffington Post

Church Of Scientology Accused Of Torture And Forced Abortions In Australia

2009-11-18T15:51:59Z

The church of Scientology has entered another international controversy this week as Nick Xenophon, an independent Australian politician, tabled a number of controversial letters about the church to the Australian Senate.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the letters contain allegations of "forced abortion, torture, perjury and financial coercion."

As Xenophon presented the letters to the Senate, he said "Scientology is not a religious organization, it is a criminal organization that hides behind its so-called religious beliefs," reports The Guardian.

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd acknowledged that he would consider a parliamentary inquiry into the church, whilst The Australian reports that the letters have been handed over to the police for investigation.

The Australian revealed the contents of one letter:

Senator Xenophon tabled a letter from Perth man Aaron Saxton, in which he admits to torture and blackmail while working for the Church of Scientology in Australia and at its American headquarters between 1989 and 1996.

The Daily Mail has details of another allegation:

Another letter tabled by Mr Xenophon was from a former executive director of the church's Sydney branch, Carmel Under, who claimed a cover-up of child abuse. She alleged that in the mid-1980s a trainee Scientologist counsellor had been molesting his stepdaughter, but church officials persuaded the girl to lie about the abuse to welfare officials.

The church responded with a statement saying the letters were "about as reliable as former spouses are when talking about their ex-partner".

The controversy comes less then a month after the church was convicted of fraud in France.

Michael Giltz: DVDs: I Heart "Firefly"

2009-08-17T16:54:57Z

I would like to review Joss Whedon's Dollhouse Season 1 ($49.98 or $60.98 on BluRay; Fox) by actually reviewing Joss Whedon's Firefly: The Complete Series ($49.98 or $89.98 on BluRay; Fox). But first I'd like to apologize to Mr. Whedon. I loved Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Really loved it. Gobbled up every episode (until Whedon left after Season 5, when the show had clearly come to a conclusion but for financial reasons carried on for two more seasons). I wrote about it and touted it to my friends and watched it all over again on DVD. So I should have been a fan for life and given all your projects a chance. But Angel was an unnecessary spin-off that never should have happened (though it got better). And so once Firefly came around, my attention was elsewhere. I actually looked up the Friday night schedule and there was nothing on opposite it so I have absolutely no idea why I didn't sample it, at the very least. It slipped by. So did Dollhouse, which sounded confusing and awkward. But I watched the Firefly film spin-off/finale Serenity and found it fun. Friends kept raving about the show. And after re-watching Buffy and falling in love with your talent all over again, I sat down to watch Firefly from start to finish.

My G-d this is a good show. A western in space (down to the horses and gun battles), Firefly is quirky, with the offbeat and clever dialogue we expect from Whedon. But it's also wholly satisfying and fun from episode one. Our hero Captain Reynolds (square-jawed Nathan Fillion, since on Castle) is a rebel who fought against the Alliance and now commands a small ship that stays on the outer reaches of space, taking the occasional smuggling job and in the grand tradition of anti-heroes has a code of honor that always keeps him doing good. His crew includes the sexy, capable number two Zoe (Gina Washburne); her husband, the pilot Wash (Alan Tudyk, a dead ringer for Anthony Rapp); the ace mechanic Kaylee (Jewel Staite); the muscle Jayne (Adam Baldwin) and various passengers including a "companion" aka prostitute (Morena Baccarin) that the captain has a soft spot for; a doctor and his sister; and a Shepherd (Ron Glass of Barney Miller).

I felt obliged to name each and every character because they are so vivid and real and I couldn't bear to leave any out. Each episode is self-contained, often with a heist or con or job of some sort they need to complete. There's also an over-arching mystery about the doctor and his disturbed sister (Summer Glau) but it's a relief to report that this isn't some wildly complex super-plot with tons of detail and confusing flashbacks. It's just a quiet presence on the show with facts slowly revealed at just the right pace. Some episodes feel like Mission: Impossible with the team working together to, say, steal a precious item. Others have the larky feel of Maverick, the great comic western starring James Garner. Still others feel funny or serious or uniquely themselves. And there's not a weak one in the bunch. Not one. (By the way, if you're a fan of Mad Men, January Jones pops up twice here in a terrific role.)

And time and again I was surprised by the emotional moments contained in these highly entertaining plots. The characters behave in surprising and remarkable ways that are both consistent with who they are and yet astonishing. I actually believed some of them might kill one another at various points. (And maybe they do.) That's pretty rare in any TV show. This isn't some rare, cult-ish show with a narrow devoted following, It absolutely deserved to be a big fat, Nielsen-gobbling hit. I actually can't believe any network would be dumb enough to cancel it after just half a season. I find it even harder to believe no other network picked it up. It's so, so hard to get a show on the air and even harder to make it good. And Firefly isn't good. It's great.

Though it only contains 17 episodes, they are of such high quality and the conclusion feels so fitting and right, that I don't hesitate to say that it belongs among the great TV shows of all time, and certainly ranks with Battlestar: Galactica, Star Trek, Star Trek: The Next Generation, The X Files, Dr. Who and so on, as one of the best sci-fi shows of all time. Or you could rank it with Maverick and Gunsmoke as one of the best westerns TV has ever produced.

And yes, Mr. Whedon, I promise to watch every episode of Dollhouse and get ready for season two and watch at least the entire first season of every show you create in the future. I don't want to miss any more terrific television.

Other Sci-Fi Series Looking To Make A Name For Themselves:

Battlestar Galactica Season 4.5 ($49.98; Universal) -- These final episodes brought this excellent sci-fi series to a satisfying conclusion after a shaky season 3. No, all the loose ends weren't tied up, but a lot of them were, the big reveals were sometimes expected but well done and the emotional journey of all the characters felt earned. Who would have thought such an awful artifact from the 1970s could have been the basis for such a fun show? Sadly, I didn't get the complete series on DVD ($279.98; Universal) or the BluRay version ($349.98; Universal) so I can't compare them to each other.

Torchwood Second Season ($79.98 on regular or BluRay; BBC Video) and Torchwood: Children of the Earth ($29.98 or $34.98 on BluRay; BBC Video) -- I've always had a fondness for this Dr. Who spin-off, but the simple truth is that Season One wasn't that special. The only aspect that kept me returning was the unusual emphasis on sex and sexuality. Sci-fi rarely deals with sex on anything other than the geekiest, most basic level so that really did distinguish the show. But other than the fact that the hero (the winning John Barrowman) was bisexual and hit on everyone in sight, there wasn't much to recommend it. Season Two was a leap forward in quality. It's still a save-the-world-again series, but the budget was upped considerably and the writing grew tauter along with the acting. Season 3 is really a five part miniseries that goes even deeper into the show's other distinguishing aspect: its bleakness. They might just turn this pretty good show into a great one after all.

Doctor Who: Planet of the Dead ($14.98 or $19.98 on BluRay; BBC Video) -- This engaging self-contained episode is one of a batch David Tennant made as he said goodbye to the role of The Doctor. There's absolutely no reason to release them individually instead of in an inexpensive boxed set with all four one-offs. But they've always packaged and re-packaged Doctor Who endlessly with never a thought for the consumer so why should things change now? Fun episode, though.

Also Out On DVD:

I Love You, Man ($29.99 or $39.99 on BluRay; Paramount) -- OK, I've got a weakness for Paul Rudd, the effortlessly charming actor who came to fame in Clueless by snogging his sister (hey, hey, sister-in-law or step-sister or whatever, they weren't related). Here he plays a spin on his patented nice-guy with attitude character: a guy who gets engaged and realizes he's great with women (as in gal pals) but has absolutely no male friends. Even his dad prefers Rudd's gay brother (a fine Andy Samberg) to Rudd. So he starts going on "man dates" trying to find a male acquaintance he can buddy up with and it's all horribly embarrassing until Jason Segel (of How I Met Your Mother) stumbles into one of Rudd's open houses for a home he's selling and they hit it off. Rudd is hilariously funny when he tries to act cool here, awkwardly trying to give Segel a nickname or making some stupid abbreviated comment and then immediately cringing. I kept thinking I would get bored but the movie consistently held my attention and made me laugh and I was just about to declare it a winner when it came to a rather deflating finale. Nothing stupid or untoward, just kind of flat and unfunny. Besides, I doubt there's anything in this bromance worth watching twice. But it is an above average flick of its sort.

Shirley Temple & Friends and 1001 Classic Commercials ($14.98 each; Mill Creek) -- Sometimes, you get what you pay for. This bargain basement Shirley Temple set contains some Shirley Temple films and shorts (3 movies and 11 shorts, to be exact) and a lot of films (five more) and shorts ( another 4) that were apparently made by her "friends." You get 8 movies in all, plus 15 shorts and if you're really a Temple fan, you can get The Little Princess, the 1939 gem, in a much better print. Her shorts are harder to find so even though the quality of the print is highly variable, hardcore fans might enjoy this until something more definitive comes along. The rest is bargain basement stuff, though I have been waiting for the Nancy Drew movies to come out in a nice little set (Nancy Drew, Reporter is here). You might think, for $15 how bad can it be? But you're probably wrong unless you're the sort that tapes shorts off of TCM because you just gotta have them. On the other hand, the equally bargain basement compilation 1001 Classic Commercials seems pretty good to me. The picture quality, again, is highly variable and rarely better than tolerable. But you can skip from commercial to commercial, it's got 16 hours of them, they really are kind of hypnotically fascinating and culturally nifty and unlike Shirley Temple, I don't imagine anyone will be remastering old TV commercials any time soon.

Crouching Tiger on Blueray!

First the good news: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon -- one of the all-time great adventure films which ranks alongside The Adventures of Robin Hood and Raiders Of The Lost Ark but has an emotional complexity those films can't match -- is out on BluRay and looks smashing. Now the bad news: you can only buy it as part of a desultory boxed set ($92.95; Sony) that also contains the excellent House Of Flying Daggers and the dreadful Curse Of The Golden Flower. These films do overlap in a way, with some actors in two out of three of them. Two were directed by Zhang Yimou and Crouching Tiger of course was directed by Ang Lee. Two are excellent. But they in no way shape or form belong in a boxed set together. Obviously, Flying Daggers and Golden Flower could be boxed with Zhang Yimou's Hero since those are his three action spectacles. But both of his movies are available separately while Crouching Tiger is not. So anyone a fan of Ang Lee's film either doesn't want those two or has already purchased them, which makes it almost impossible for anyone to buy this boxed set and not feel ripped off in one way or another. Truly boneheaded and the great Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon deserves better. Now when is Ang Lee gonna film the two prequels and when is someone else going to translate the book it was based on into English?

Icons of Screwball Comedy

Two good, no muss, no fuss DVD compilations of some solid screwball comedies. Icons Of Screwball Comedies Volume One ($24.96; Sony) contains two Jean Arthur flicks and two Rosalind Russell showcases. Volume Two ($24.96; Sony) has two Irene Dunne and two Loretta Young titles. As so often happens, you need both since Arthur and Dunne are the two standouts with their movies slightly superior to the others. All are genial fun and none of them are either beautifully pristine or shockingly bad when it comes to print quality. But if I had to choose one, it would be Volume Two, because I especially enjoy Dunne as the author of a naughty bestseller in Theodora Goes Wild and my other weakness is for mysteries so the screwball-mystery A Night To Remember with Young is a two-fer.

Super Friends: The Lost Episodes

I suppose it's wrong of me to suggest that anything should not be collected on DVD. But these after-thoughts of a TV cartoon series (created after Super Friends was canceled and hidden in a vault until they aired a decade later) are certainly better off forgotten by anyone but historians. I'd almost blocked out the Wonder Twins Zan and Jayna and -- gulp -- their buck-toothed blue space monkey Gleek from my memory til this two disc, three hour compilation ($26.98; Warner Bros.) crossed my desk. That's certainly the low point, but everyone else here, like Superman and Batman and the Flash, is seen to much better effect both before and after this batch of routine episodes. Also just out is the equally forgettable Daffy Duck feature film Quackbusters ($14.98; Warner Bros.) from 1988. The three shorts included as extras easily outshine the film and let you know what Daffy was really about, especially Duck Dodgers and the Return Of The 24 1/2th Century.

Chris Isaak Greatest Hits Live

Chris Isaak is as winning a rock and roll talent as they come. He's got a marvelous voice, great skills as a songwriter and knows the territory he's staked out -- blue tunes of misery and heartache -- better than anyone since the heyday of Ricky Nelson and Roy Orbison. This all-too brief 68 minute concert film from the TV series Soundstage ($19.99; E1) captures the handsome devil in all his glory. When his career is over, he'll deserve boxed sets and a number of his albums will be seen as classics (such as his debut and San Francisco Days) but as a throwback to the Fifties, Isaak will best be remembered through a really smartly chosen, well-paced single CD greatest hits set that will become essential for any rock and roll fan. This show is a good first stab at that set list and fans will eat it up. But still, 68 minutes? They should have left the camera rolling.

Get Your Kicks... With Some Other TV Show

Rarely has a TV show been kicked around on DVD as often as Route 66, the anthology series in which two guys travel the country and stumble on compelling storylines with guest stars in a new town every week. The entire release has been a farce in one way or another. First they released just half of Season One, which drives me bonkers. No one in the world ever wanted half of a season of a TV series. To make matters worse, the picture quality was variable. Then they put out Volume Two and the picture was better but they ruined it by including fake "widescreen" imagery by chopping off the top and the bottom of the screen. Then they put out the entire Season One without the fake widescreen, so that anyone who bought it had to buy it all over again.. Then they put out Season Two in one complete set and did a pretty good job, so everyone heaved a sigh of relief. Now they've released Volume One of Season Three, which almost makes sense since one of the leads got sick and left the show. But this set includes the first 16 episodes and not the 17th episode, the final one in which George Maharis appears. To top it off, the entire Season Three was available in one set at Best Buy in an exclusive deal, but it's been recalled since all the discs from Volume Two proved defective. If that isn't enough to scare you off, I don't know what is. But as for the show itself, it's a solid anthology, with fairly hard-hitting topics and juicy performances from top-notch actors throughout. I assume they'll probably re-do the entire season three and put it out for everyone, but that's just because it's the most annoying thing they could do. G-d knows what will happen to season four.

Pushing Daisies Second Season

Unlike, say, Firefly, I'm not actually shocked that Pushing Daisies didn't become a massive, broad appeal hit. It really is an odd duck, which isn't to say that anyone with a love for classic Hollywood screwball comedies, whimsical mysteries, or offbeat fare like the edgier Arrested Development won't be thoroughly pleased by this series. The quality is high, even as they must have known the cancellation ax was being sharpened. Lee Pace is an utter charmer as a man with a disquieting gift -- he can touch dead things and bring them to life but if he doesn't put them back to "sleep" right away something else must die to take their place -- who uses it to solve crimes. He's brought his true love back to life and so now they're doomed to a sweetly platonic romance, which is surprisingly sexy when the woman is Anna Friel, another find. The supporting cast is top-notch, with Chi McBride and Kristin Chenoweth first among equals and Jim Dale's playful narration as the perfect touch. Cult hit couldn't have happened to a nicer show.

Also Out:

A Life Among Whales ($19.98; Indiepix), earnest hour-long documentary about the scientist who popularized the idea that whales "sing;" Pulling Second Season ($24.98; MPI), the rude, somewhat funny Britcom about a single gal stumbling through life; Prison Break: The Final Break ($26.98 and and $29.99 on BluRay), the ludicrous finale with our hero breaking his wife out of prison -- how Wentworth Miller maintained his dignity through all this I'll never know; London To Brighton ($24.98; E1), in which a prostitute finds an 11 year old girl for a mobster but thinks things have gone too far when he gets violent -- it's not kitchen sink drama so much as the gunk underneath the kitchen sink you find when you're trying to unclog a pipe drama; Fast & Furious ($34.98; Universal) the silly sequel even by the standards of this silly series about car thieves; Bad Lieutenant ($19.98; Lionsgate), a special edition of Harvey Keitel's coruscating performance as a violent cop; and Apres Lui ($24.98; IFC), with Catherine Deneuve's typically restrained performance as a bereaved mother who becomes obsessed with her dead son's (handsome) best friend.

On Bluray:

Here is a rundown of the latest BluRay releases and whether they're worth splurging on. (Studios, lower your prices quick to the same as regular DVDs and maybe there's still a chance that BluRay will catch on. Maybe.)

This Is Spinal Tap ($34.99 on BluRay versus $14.98; MGM) -- Ok, you simply can't pay too much for one of the funniest and most influential comedies of all time. Still, $7.50 on sale for regular DVD versus $22 at Amazon? Given the movie and how often people watch it again and again and again, this is worth it but perfectly illustrates how studios are killing BluRay. Except for landmark films and effects extravaganzas, people ain't gonna spend this much more money on BluRay.

The Class ($39.95 versus $28.96 on regular DVD; Sony) -- My favorite film of 2008, this French gem ranks at the top of films about the classroom. If you already own it, there's no need to upgrade. And if you haven't bought it, the $8 price difference (on sale) is pretty steep.

Sling Blade ($34.99 versus $14.99 on regular DVD; Miramax) -- Again, you have to pay twice the price to get it on BluRay (even on sale), which is way too much. But who would have expected this oddball drama to launch Billy Bob Thornton into the fine, multi-faceted career he's having? I thought he had one-hit wonder written all over him, but that's what I get for confusing the actor with the role.

Cutthroat Island ($19.99 versus $9.98 on regular DVD; Lionsgate) -- If you're gonna introduce some cheaply priced BluRays, it's no surprise they'd start with a notorious flop like this pirate movie starring Geena Davis. She's perfectly convincing as a swashbuckler but the film is bloated, as advertised. And even at $20, it's still twice as much as the regular DVD.

Wild Pacific ($34.99 versus $29.98 on regular DVD; BBC/2 Entertain) -- Nature documentaries have become so routinely stunning that something as simply gorgeous as Wild Pacific barely makes a stir. But it looks smashing on your TV and for a change the BluRay isn't wildly more expensive -- only $3 more on sale at Amazon.

Big Trouble In Little China ($29.99 versus $9.98 on regular DVD; Fox) -- A big flop a la Cutthroat Island but this supernatural spin on Escape From New York has a lot more character and a lot more fans. Too bad John Carpenter's cultish flick costs three times as much on DVD (and two times as much even on sale) as the regular disc. This is the sort of spectacle that deserves top quality.

My Cousin Vinny ($34.98 versus $14.98 on regular DVD) -- Marisa Tomei's Oscar-winning role (and no, it wasn't a mistake; she deserved it and has proved it since with fine turns in The Wrestler and elsewhere) in this amiable comedy that has grown in stature among the average fan over the years. (In other words, regular Joes love this movie, not just Joe Pesci.) But there's no compelling need for the BluRay upgrade unless you've got a Marisa Tomei poster on your wall.

The Towering Inferno ($34.98 versus $19.98; Fox) -- A genuine spectacle and a very influential movie, this Oscar-winning triumph from 1974 has the usual all-star cast, a stately pace and some awesome special effects that hold up a lot better than the CGI in Transformers and GI Joe: The Rise Of The Cobra will. The BluRay comes loaded with extras and on sale it costs $7 more, which for a spectacle like this is just about worth it. It's remarkable to me how so many of the plot points of this movie became conventions that would be repeated time and time again in disaster flicks to come. And at 2 hours and 45 minutes, it's a good reminder that over-long movies have been around for ages.

Thanks for reading.

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Funny & Fine: Who's America's Sexiest Comedian? You Decide! (SLIDESHOW) (POLL)

2009-05-27T16:31:31Z

We've selected 15 of the sexiest funnymen we know for a HuffPost poll of ridiculous proportions. They're all hilarious, they're all more comedian than actor (sorry Paul Rudd!), and they're all sexy as hell. Think we're missing someone? Complain about it in the comments section! Missed the ladies list? Click here and vote for them too!

Quick Pic: Take A Load Off, Paul Rudd

2009-05-18T16:05:39Z

And you can put the load right on me! [Simcha!--Editor] We Frisky girls make passes at boys who wear glasses. And Paul Rudd, we really do love you, man. [LAX, Los Angeles, 5/18/09]

Sean L. McCarthy: The SNL FAQ: Season Finale (Will Ferrell)

2009-05-17T15:35:54Z

You have questions about the season finale of Saturday Night Live. We have answers.

Did they open with a political sketch? YES. Unpopular former Vice President Dick Cheney (Darrell Hammond, in his SNL swan song), got interrupted from his newfound love of media appearances by Will Ferrell in his now Tony-nominated performance of ex-President George W. Bush. Ferrell as Bush did get in a couple of digs on VP Joe Biden, wondering why Cheney wouldn't go out for burgers with him, and why Cheney wouldn't say dumb things to make Bush look smarter.

How did the host do, and did he/she do anything outrageously funny? Will Ferrell dominated the episode from start to finish, appearing in every sketch of the night and bringing back his memorable impersonations of Bush, Alex Trebek and the ghost of Harry Caray.

Who played President Obama? Not present. Looks like they took the hint.

Was there a digital short? NO.

Was there a fake ad? YES, BUT. It was a blast from the past. Specifically, Season #26, Epsiode 11 (Feb. 10, 2001), in which Ferrell played the dog-hating Wade Blasingame, ESQ., attorney at law. He has sued more than 2,000 dogs for getting away with things humans never could.

Did the musical guest lip-sync or otherwise do something worth mentioning? Green Day proved they still can provide some power chord punk-pop, with two singles off their upcoming new release, "Know Your Enemy" and "21 Guns."

Did my favorite character return? YES. Aside from all of the impersonations, Kristen Wiig's big-headed, tiny-handed singing sister returned in another Lawrence Welk sketch.

Were there any celebrity cameos? YES. TONS. Tom Hanks played himself in the Jeopardy sketch, pretending to be dumber than you could possibly believe anyone to be, and playing it straight. Former SNLers Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph and Norm MacDonald also returned; Poehler to the Weekend Update desk, Rudolph singing in a funeral sketch, and MacDonald playing Burt Reynolds on Jeopardy. Elisabeth Moss (Fred Armisen's fiancee) showed up briefly in the all-star singalong to Billy Joel's "Goodnight, Saigon." As did earlier season 34 SNL hosts Anne Hathaway and Paul Rudd. As did Artie Lange, for reasons unknown (other than being pals with MacDonald, I suppose).

Did any celebrities get impersonated? YES. The Celebrity Jeopardy sketch featured Ferrell as Alex Trebek, Hammond as Sean Connery, MacDonald as Burt Reynolds and Wiig as Kathie Lee Gifford. We also saw an NBA on TNT sketch with Bill Hader as Ernie Johnson and Kenan Thompson as Charles Barkley. And Fred Armisen played Lawrence Welk.

Did any politicians get impersonated? YES. See the aforementioned cold open.

For the full recap and analysis of this episode of SNL, click here.

International Year One Trailer Arrives

2009-05-08T06:21:33Z

"Year One" tells the story of a couple of lazy hunter-gatherers, Zed and Oh. For these two friends, life was tough. "Year One" is directed by Harold Ramis (The Ice Harvest, Bedazzled, Caddyshack, Groundhog Day) and is set to hit theaters on June 19th ²

An international trailer for Year One has popped online and it features a lot of new footage from the Harold Ramis directed comedy starring Jack Black and Michael Cera. In the film, Black and Cera play a couple of lazy hunter-gatherers who are banished from their primitive village. It opens June 19 and also stars Oliver Platt, David Cross, Hank Azaria, Olivia Wilde, June Diane Raphael, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Vinnie Jones, Xander Berkeley and Paul Rudd. ¹

International Year One Trailer Arrives (The Moving Picture)
International Year One Trailer (FilmoFilia)

POLL: Which Green Story Was Funniest?

2009-04-14T15:34:33Z

Hey, let's face it. Green stories can be a bit dry sometimes. That's why it's nice to have a couple of fun ones mixed in. Lately there have been a few worth revisiting -- so take a look and vote on which you think is funniest!

Segway, GM Unveil Weird, Two-Wheeled Wonder (VIDEO, SLIDESHOW)

ILVTOFU License Plate Request Denied Despite True Love For Tofu (VIDEO)

Portable Park Makes Staying Connected To Nature Weird, Difficult

Paul Rudd Dances With Elmo In "EARTH ROCKS" Song

Paul Rudd Dances With Elmo; Officially Becomes World's Cutest Man (VIDEO)

2009-04-13T16:32:42Z

At this point, we all know how much Paul Rudd loves to dance, but until you've seen him dressed as a giant earth boogying down with some muppets, you haven't lived.

Rudd lent his time to the Sesame Street special "Being Green," that just released in time for Earth Day. It celebrates recycling and conserving water and energy, but mostly it just celebrates Paul Rudd whose infectious joy and self-deprecation can't help but make you laugh.

WATCH:

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Zorianna Kit: Movie Review: Observe & Report

2009-04-09T23:53:09Z

Don't confuse Observe and Report with that other mallcop movie "Paul Blart: Mallcop." The latter was a fuzzy, feel-good family comedy starring Kevin James as a lovable, goofy head of security at a mall. Observe, on the other hand, is much darker, often violent, bizarre and mostly unfunny movie starring Seth Rogen as a type of Travis Bickle mall-cop.

Sure both characters pine for a local shop girl and aspire to join the police force, but that's where the similarities end. Observe has Rogen starring as Ronnie Barnhardt, an often-delusional security guard who feels if he can only solve the case of a mysterious flasher terrorizing the mall patrons, he'll get a spot on the police force and win the heart of make-up counter clerk played by Anna Faris.

Rogen, often a writer and producer on his comedies, is just a gun for hire here and it certainly is not the best choice for him. The movie plays like an attempt for Rogen to try to break out of his lovable doofus mold by doing the equivalent of Adam Sandler trying his hand at darker comedy in Punch Drunk Love. It doesn't work. The script is uneven in tone, leaving Rogen funny in some scenes, and falling flat in others.

Gifted comedians such as Patton Oswalt, Aziz Ansari and Danny McBride (let's also add the talented Celia Weston to this bunch as Rogen's alcoholic mother) keep the tone light and entertaining, so when the drugging, violence and nudity does enter the picture, it often comes out of left field and very much as a shock. It is not clear if the intent is to be funny, or not, so the end result is just confusion and bewilderment.

Faris is perfectly cast as the hot make-up girl who gets drunk on her date with Rogen and lets him sleep with her. Her comedic timing and lack of vanity remind us why she's one of Hollwyood's go-to girls for comedy. What other actresses are willing to show themselves having sex and throwing-up at the same time? Meanwhile Michael Pena (Crash, Babel) is hilarious as Rogen's mall-cop sidekick. In one of the film's many non-sequitirs, the duo turn over to the dark side and become a wacked out version of Napoleon Dynamite and Pedro. Unfortunately the entire bit is just too deranged and is likely to offend more than anything else. Newcomer Collette Wolfe, who plays a sympathetic food court employee, seems to be the only character with any real depth here, but unfortunately she's in the wrong movie.

Whereas I was completely turned off by this film, my husband found it so appealingly bizarre, he's convinced Observe & Report might one day be looked upon as a cult classic. He and I will have to differ on that.

Without his usual collaborators - be they Judd Apatow, writing partner Evan Goldberg or past co-stars such as Paul Rudd, Jonah Hill and James Franco -- Rogen proves that leaving the nest is not always a good thing. Observe is a worthy attempt, but the "Report" is a bad one.

Andy Ostroy: Celebrities Come Out Big for Adrienne Shelly Foundation eBay Auction

2009-04-09T18:40:27Z

Most people know me here as a guy who frequently rants about the latest Dick Cheney drivel, the Republicans being the "Party of No," or how ludicrous it is to award million-dollar bonuses to Wall Street's TARP babies. Throw in a little Obama euphoria and that's me in a nutshell. But what they don't often know is that I also run a non-profit foundation that supports women filmmakers with scholarships, production grants, finishing funds and living stipends, and that this foundation carries the name of my late wife, Adrienne Shelly, who was brutally murdered in 2006.

Adrienne wrote, directed and starred in Waitress, the critically-acclaimed box-office hit of 2007. But it was not the first feature film she wrote and directed. There were two others. She struggled, like most filmmakers--especially women filmmakers--to get their work produced. And it is in her honor that the Adrienne Shelly Foundation was founded to help other very talented women get their films made.

On Monday we launched the Second Annual Adrienne Shelly Foundation eBay auction. There are 39 amazing items up for bidding including 20 private lunches with major celebrities including Paul Rudd, Jeremy Sisto, David Schwimmer, Rachel Dratch, Edie Falco, Jon Hamm, Lily Taylor, Gina Gershon, John Slattery, Rosanna Arquette, Nathan Fillion, Keri Russell and Kevin Smith. There's also movie walk-ons (wanna be in a film with Bruce Willis? Drew Barrymore?), VIP television show tickets (Rachael Ray, Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Ellen DeGeneres), a signed Meg Ryan original photograph, movie premiere/party tickets, Sundance and Tribeca Film Festival VIP packages and more.

It's all for a great cause, so check it out and place some bids if you can. Click here to be directed to our eBay Store.

As a side note, Adrienne wrote a script after Waitress called Serious Moonlight. It's a film I'm producing with Waitress producer Michael Roiff, and it has its world premiere April 25th at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York. Directed by Cheryl Hines, it stars Meg Ryan, Timothy Hutton, Justin Long and Kristen Bell. How wonderful that movie audiences will get to see another Adrienne Shelly-penned film.

Knowing Scares Off Bromance, Julia Roberts

2009-03-23T06:41:43Z

Summit Entertainments Nicolas Cage disaster actioner Knowing easily won the weekends domestic box office race with $24.8 million, while Universals Julia Roberts-Clive Owen starrer Duplicity saw a soft launch domestically and overseas. Paramount/DreamWorks Paul Rudd-Jason Segel buddy comedy I Love You, Man came in on the lower end of expectations in its domestic debut, but pic is primed to take advantage of rolling spring break vacations over the next month. The John Hamburg-directed movie placed No. 2 in its bow, grossing an estimated $18 million from 2,711 playdates, according to Rentrak. ²

Clint Eastwood's "Gran Torino" tied with "Marley and Me" for the top weekend slot at a generally mild foreign box office with $8.8 million each. The frame saw impressive biz from Paramount's "Monsters vs. Aliens," which debuted a week ahead of its domestic launch with $6.9 million at 632 in Russia and the Ukraine. ³

The sci-fi adventure, starring Cage as an astrophysicist who decodes an encrypted prophecy of global doom and races to save the world from cataclysm, marked the fifth-biggest movie opening of his career and his ninth No. 1 film since 1997. ⁴

Knowing Scares Off Bromance, Julia Roberts (E! Online)
'Knowing' tops weekend box office (Variety)
'Gran,' 'Marley' top foreign box office (Variety)
"Knowing" tops weekend box office (Boston Globe)

Cage Creams Bromance And Julia Roberts

2009-03-22T22:28:47Z

LOS ANGELES — Audiences knew what they wanted this weekend: Nicolas Cage and the apocalypse.

Summit Entertainment's supernatural thriller "Knowing," which stars Cage as an astrophysics professor who figures out how to predict monumental catastrophes, debuted as the No. 1 movie at the weekend box office with $24.8 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Muppets Mock Jimmy Fallon And Jason Segel (VIDEO)

2009-03-21T14:50:15Z

Statler and Waldorf, the two old curmudgeons from the "Muppet Show," made an appearance on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" to mock the host and his guest, Jason Segel, who is promoting his new film, "I Love You Man." They skewered both Jimmy's interview skills and Jason's stardom, and were generally pretty mean.

At the time they interrupted, however, Jason Segel was repeating jokes from this interview by attaching the word bro to the beginning of everything, so we kind of understood where they were coming from.

Puppets have made a serious comeback in comedy recently with Jimmy Kimmel using them to illustrate the Madoff scandal, and Ricky Gervais giving the world's greatest interview to Elmo. Segel is in charge of the next Muppet movie, so these confrontations are not new for him.

WATCH:

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"The Year One" Movie Trailer: Jack Black And Michael Cera's Biblical Road Trip

2009-03-21T09:25:02Z

The full trailer for this June's Jack Black, Michael Cera comedy "The Year One" is out and seen below. The biblical road trip stars the pair as lazy hunter/gatherers who get banished from their village. The movie and also features Oliver Platt, Olivia Wilde, and David Cross and Paul Rudd as Cain and Abel.

Directed by Harold Ramis, it's a Judd Apatow-produced film.

WATCH:

The Hollywood Ham: Paul Rudd Literally Charms Pants Off Delighted Fan

2009-03-20T14:45:13Z

After years of worshiping Paul Rudd's affable, comedic performances, Richard Thomas was met with a pleasant surprise when he bumped into the movie star at a neighborhood cheese shop.

His pants, which had been held up with a tightly-fastened belt, were charmed off.

Thomas, who'd harbored a mancrush for the better part of 8 years, was shopping for an assortment of cheeses when Rudd entered the store.

"He walked in with a big smirk on his face," Thomas giddily recounted. "He kept ordering different types of cheeses in funny accents, only to cut himself off and go 'I'm just kidding. I'll have a pound of provolone.' It was hilarious. 100% charm."

Then the Object of My Affection star began making small talk with Thomas. Before he knew it, Thomas' pants were gone. The pants, described by witnesses as chinos, had been purchased at J Crew. They stood no chance.

"Those pants were on tight," recalled Thomas. "But one 'wink and the gun' from Rudd and they were gone."

While the public de-pantsing should've left Thomas embarrassed, Rudd diffused the situation by organizing an impromptu karaoke session about the cheese he ordered, diverting the rest of the customers' attention from Thomas.

"Afterward, Paul told me that sort of thing happens to him all the time," said a still pants-less Thomas. "I don't know if he was talking about the pants or the cheese karaoke, but either way it proved what a likeable guy he is."

-Dan Abramson

Paul Rudd Scores Best Dressed At 'I Love You, Man' Premiere: Red Carpet Recap

2009-03-19T07:12:28Z

If you'd like to watch the video version of our I Love You Man review you can see it at the bottom of the written review. But the moment I finally recognized his comedic genius was in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy where he played news reporter Brian Fantana. Peter immediately sets out to rectify the situation, embarking on a series of bizarre and awkward man-dates, before meeting Sydney Fife (Jason Segel, Forgetting Sarah Marshall), a charming, opinionated man with whom he instantly bonds. A lot of comedies fail at providing strong supporting casts... but his one was every bit as funny as the leads in the film... and that's saying something. ¹

It gives me great pleasure that Paul Rudd was absolutely the best dressed male at last night's premiere for his new comedy "I Love You, Man". I'm not sure what else you can say about a really well put together suit, shirt and tie, but a "thank you" to his stylist is probably in order. Everyone from this year's MTV Movie Awards host, Andy Samberg, to former Movie Awards hosts, Sarah Silverman and Jack Black were in attendance. ²

I Love You Man Review (The Movie Blog)
Paul Rudd Scores Best Dressed At 'I Love You, Man' Premiere: Red Carpet Recap (MTV Movies Blog)

Read more: Sarah Silverman, Paul Rudd, Home News

Paul Rudd And Jason Segel Make Bad Puns And Fart Sounds For Four Minutes And It's Hilarious (VIDEO)

2009-03-17T17:24:47Z

National Lampoon's Matt Zaller sat down with the stars of "I Love You Man," ostensibly to talk about the movie, but it never quite got that far.

After two minutes of fart sounds and posterior jokes, they moved on to making bad puns using the word 'bro' a la 'bromance.' These include Brosie O'Donnell, Mighty Bro Young, and brocery store.

It's all ridiculous and amazing, and Paul Rudd is adorable as usual.

WATCH:

(via Videogum)

Paul Rudd: A Leading Man At Last

2009-03-15T09:24:35Z

FANS of Paul Rudd have not gone wanting in recent years: he has popped up with comforting regularity in movies big and small, on television sitcoms and sketch shows, and he leaves an impression, however tiny the role. But they have had reason to wonder why this good-looking, likeable, quick-witted actor has so often played the sidekick and not the romantic leading man.

Their wait is now over -- sort of. Mr. Rudd is front and center in his new comedy, but as its title proclaims, "I Love You, Man" is less interested in the relationship between the hero and his bride-to-be than in the deep and true (but strictly nonsexual) feelings he has developed for his new best buddy.

Michael Giltz: DVDs -- Pinocchio Looks Better Than Ever

2009-03-13T16:18:25Z

PLEASE, BLUE FAIRY. MAKE ME A REAL BOY -- Walt Disney's Pinocchio is one of the crown jewels in the classic Disney canon and rightly so -- it's beautifully hand-drawn, filled with wit and charm (albeit in a story that considerably softens the satirical tone of the original novel) and taps into some elemental fears and desires. Is there a scarier transmorgification than the scene on Pleasure Island where Pinocchio and other boys get to go on a rampage of smoking and fighting and smashing only to literally turn into asses? And it's nearly equaled by the attack of Monstro the whale. All of it is leavened by Pinocchio, a little puppet who is lulled or teased into trouble and can't see why he should tell the truth when a perfectly good lie is always on the tip of his tongue. A standard two DVD set costs $29.99 and a BluRay combo pack costs $34.99, but it also includes a standard DVD of the movie. (Both look just stunning.) That's perfect for parents who have a BluRay player in their living room but not in the kids' room or perhaps in the car for road trips where portable DVDs are so popular. Even better would be if they included a digital copy of the movie, made the whole thing $29.99 and eliminated the standard DVD-only set. People could just buy the movie and get three different versions of it to watch on whatever platform they wanted. Released in 1940, Pinocchio came out one year after Max Fleischer's Gulliver's Travels ($14.98; E1 Entertainment), an animated film that has long been in Disney's shadow, and rightly so. The animation is quite a bit softer and less precise, even in this nicely restored edition that greatly improves on the prints that have been circulating for years. Pinocchio is a movie; Gulliver feels like a cartoon. But for animation buffs, it's nice to see this film looking better than ever. I didn't get a copy of the BluRay version, but on Amazon, the sale price is 50 cents LOWER than the regular DVD, which is great to see. If you want to see a film that builds on the legacy of Disney by being true to itself, I can't recommend highly enough The Prince's Quest ($19.98; Weinstein/Genius), known simply as Azur & Asmar when it was briefly released in select cities. This gorgeous French film tells a Persian myth about a noble-born boy and his best friend, the son of a nurse, who band together to rescue a fairy. In an echo of Persian art, the characters are often seen in profile. Further, the backgrounds are often static -- but the backgrounds are even more often stunningly detailed interiors that capture the beauty of Persian art and tile design that are so marvelous to look at it takes you breath away. Really, a delightful film.

PAUL RUDD: MOVIE STAR -- It happened quietly, but I couldn't be more pleased: Paul Rudd is a movie star. He's been a stellar talk show guest for years, whether charming David Letterman or dancing with Jon Stewart. He's had a major role in a string of terrific movies, dating back to Clueless all the way to Knocked Up. And now suddenly, he's the man: the lead in successful comedies like Role Models (Universal; $29.98), a typical goof with Rudd and Sean William Scott as power drink pushers who have to do community service that was a strong box office hit; and I Love You, Man (opening Friday) with Rudd as a sad sack guy trying to find a male friend so he can have a Best Man at his wedding. Throw in voice-over work on the blockbuster-looking animated flick Monsters Vs. Aliens (opening March 27), and a clutch of upcoming projects like a caveman comedy with Jack Black and a James L. Brooks project and Rudd is on top of the world. In fact, he's appeared in movies that have grossed just about $1 billion in the US alone and $1.6 billion worldwide.

He's been charming ever since that breakout role in Clueless (hey, if he were your (step) brother, wouldn't you make out with him too?), including notable TV stints on Friends and Reno 911, as well as cult faves like Wet Hot American Summer and the solid hit but still under-appreciated Anchorman.

Frankly, I'm besotted with the guy, who turns 40 on April 6 but still looks almost the same as he did in Clueless 14 years ago. (Do he and Dick Clark have the same deal with the devil?) He's shown greater range on stage, but in movies Rudd has been mostly limited to comedies, which clearly he has a flair for. Still, it would be nice to see if he could have the range of a Cary Grant and sink his teeth into at least romantic dramas if not even weightier fare instead of just wise-cracking comedies. Clearly, Paul Rudd has the talent and the fan base. All he needs is some smart director to realize how much bigger a star Rudd could be.

So what's your favorite Paul Rudd movie and do you think he could branch out into dramatic acting?

P.S. I started writing this last Friday and just saw the New York Times had a feature profile of Rudd with the same angle here.

THE LAST LAUGH -- Surely that's being had by F.W. Murnau, whose stature keeps rising as his movies are restored. Hot on the heels of the gigantic boxed set Murnau, Borsage and Fox comes this 6 DVD set Murnau ($99.95; Kino) with exemplary renditions of classics like Faust (a new edition), previously released Nosferatu, The Last Laugh and Tartuffe plus two new films The Haunted Castle and a romantic comedy (!) The Finances Of The Grand Duke. Why Tabu isn't included is a mystery probably explained by rights lapsing or some such thing. If you don't own any, this is essential and you can be certain that all of the titles are lovingly restored and offered with bountiful extras. I can't quite wrap my head around a romance by Murnau, but the "old dark house" genre of The Haunted Castle is a natural for him and I've never seen his Faust. If you bought earlier Murnau boxed sets, rest assured that those three are also available on their own.

GOT MILK? -- I'm looking forward to giving Gus Van Sant's solidly conventional, well-acted drama about Harvey Milk ($29.98; Universal) another chance. I enjoyed it but rewatching the classic documentary about the same story just before seeing the film didn't do it any favors. In every way, the documentary was superior and indeed the most powerful moments of the film were footage taken from the era of San Francisco in the 70s when Milk fought for basic civil rights for gays. Penn is very good and has nice chemistry with James Franco but I was delighted to see Lucas Grabeel of High School Musical in a small role and thought Emile Hirsch stole the show as a volunteer always ready to volunteer for a little one-on-one with anyone and everyone. The extras are quite modest, which is a shame for a film that took so many years to get to the screen and features such great craftsmanship.

THE GOOD DOCTOR -- You never forget your first Doctor and mine was Tom Baker, arguably the definitive Doctor Who until David Tennant put his stamp on the role of the time-traveling busybody in recent years. Baker held sway from 1974 to 1981 and while I've been clamoring for years that they do the obvious and release boxed sets devoted to the entire run of each Doctor, I must admit that Doctor Who: The Key To Time Special Edition ($99.98; BBC America) comes close -- it presents an entire season, which just happens to be one long story arc. A similar set was released (at a lower price) in 2002, but this one is jam-packed with all the extras of that one plus many more, including making-of documentaries. Family viewing is probably damning with faint praise but that's exactly what this is.

THOSE FR%#@ING KIDS -- I'm relieved to say that South Park: The Complete Twelth Season ($49.99 on regular DVD and a too-high $69.99 on BluRay; Paramount) is NOT sheer delight from beginning to end. Why am I glad it's not great from start to finish? Because I've been enjoying this show so much for the past four or five seasons (when it really became a great, great sitcom) that I'd feared I'd lost the ability to critique it impartially. In fact, I hadn't just lost my mind -- the last four seasons have been superlative. This season is merely good Actually, make that very good. The Heavy Metal spoof is a bit drawn out and the two-part Pandemic (with giant guinea pigs trashing the town and pan flute bands the secret to destroying them) is tiresome in the extreme, but otherwise it's a solid season, from the day the internet goes down (creating a Mad Max-like future) to Canada On Strike, which has one of their patented musical numbers. When oh when will they make another feature-length musical?

CRITERION TREASURES -- Criterion continues to mine cinema history for lost treasures. Akira Kurosawa is perhaps the most Western of Japanese directors and almost certainly the most popular one over here. But I still have nooks and crannies of his work to explore. Best known for his period samurai epics, Kurosawa also delivered acclaimed films like Dodes'ka-den, a 1970 film -- his first in color -- about down and outers on the fringes of Tokyo. A 30 minute documentary talks about the making of the film and there's a substantial new essay by film historian Stephen Prince and one of Kurosawa's collaborators. But while Kurosawa is very well known here, Hiroshi Shimizu is virtually unknown, something that should change with the release of Travels With Hiroshi Shimizu ($59.95; Eclipse), a four movie set covering movies from the 30s and 40s that also focus on the marginalized and the working class.

HAGRID FIGHTS CRIME -- For heaven's sake, keep the kiddies away from Cracker: The Complete Collection ($119.99; Acorn). Yes, it stars Robbie Coltrane but the boozing, whoring and gambling criminologist Cracker (brilliant at his job, dismissive of his colleagues, mess of a home life -- in short, the typical British crime fighter) couldn't be more different from the Hogwarts fellow. This set contains all 11 of the feature-length mysteries from the show's run, which blessedly ended before Cracker could turn into a caricature, the way Jane Tennison threatened to do. Great stuff and a nicely compact set, but awfully expensive for a 13 year old series that was never a huge hit in the US anyway.

ESCAPE TO THE ORIGINAL WITCH MOUNTAIN -- The Number One movie of the week is Race To Witch Mountain. But I can't handle the idea of substituting kindly Eddie Albert with The Rock, even if he has made a string of family films. So why not check out the gentle original from 1975, whose special effects seemed so nifty at the time. (Heck, I was even excited by the scene where the kids sat in bed and communicated with each other...telepathically!) You knew the brother was going to be prey to bad influences in the sequel Return From Witch Mountain ($19.99 each; Disney) because he was wearing a horrible turtleneck and in general the very modest magic had gone. But you can never go wrong with a story where kids feel special and misunderstood. I asked my sister the night after seeing the first movie if we should try to speak to each other telepathically when we went to bed and she told me I was a loser. But she cheated by saying it out loud. Fine for the very young.

LOVEJOY'S DISTANT COUSIN -- In the very small subgenre of mystery series revolving around the art world, you can add The Baron ($59.98; Koch) to the list (which I think includes Lovejoy and precious little else). One of an endless string of interchangeable British action series, The Baron was the first live action UK show that premiered in color and starred a Texan who fought crime with his handsome assistant until American networks said "Give us a broad" and they dumped the guy in favor of a glamorous female sidekick. You get the entire 30 episode series which is fine but will appeal mostly to those who are already fans of the show.

BLUE EYES -- The death of Paul Newman means the usual flood of releases and tributes, but naturally an actor who worked steadily for decades can't have made ALL good movies. The Silver Chalice ($19.98; Warner Bros.) was a plodding Biblical epic and the first showcase for Newman, who loved to make fun of the film. Indeed, it's a strange, miserable little movie, with the sets either bizarrely stylized (the outdoor scenes look like leftovers from Fritz Lang's Metropolis or maybe the dream sequences from Hitchcock's Spellbound) or in the case of the interior scenes cavernous and echoing to a ludicrous degree. The Helen Morgan Story ($19.98; Warner Bros.) was a little better thanks to the great director Michael Curtiz, but Newman is still a boy toy. When Time Ran Out ($19.98; Warner Bros.) was a Seventies disaster movie trading on the success of The Towering Inferno and The Outrage ($19.98; Warner Bros.) is an oddball western costarring Laurence Harvey where Newman plays (gulp) a Mexican. But fans can treasure Rachel Rachel ($19.98; Warner Bros.), in which Newman made his fine directorial debut and provided a great showcase for his brilliant wife, Joanne Woodward.

BLURAY -- Let The Right One In ($34.98; Magnolia) is a Swedish vampire flick that genuinely deserves the moniker of cult hit after playing in theaters for months and months. Plus, on sale it's only $1 more than the regular DVD. Vanishing Point ($34.98; Fox) is the 1971 car chase flick about a guy traveling from Denver to San Francisco in 15 hours that's a classic cult film in its own right. Maybe B movies shouldn't be spruced up but it deserves to be seen in all its seedy glory and this edition contains both the US and UK versions plus other extras. Too bad in this case the BluRay is an absurd $25 more than the regular DVD and even $16 more when on sale at Amazon. Jonathan Demme enjoyed a modest comeback with Rachel Getting Married ($39.95; Sony). It didn't make a lot of money but is probably his best well-reviewed feature film since Philadelphia in 1993 and scored Anne Hathaway an Oscar nod. It's an unfortunate $11 more than the regular DVD and $7 more on sale on Amazon. Finally, there's Primal Fear ($29.99; Paramount), a B movie crime thriller which immediately made Edward Norton a name to watch. It's almost twice as expensive as the regular DVD. Studios need to lower BluRay prices unless they want this positive tweak of DVDs to crash and burn immediately.

THE MEN OF THE 12TH PRECINCT -- For years, if you asked cops which TV show got it right, it was never Hill Street Blues or Kojak or NYPD Blue and probably wouldn't be upcoming Southland. The answer was always Barney Miller. The mundane duties, the "regulars" among the people you dealt with, the camaraderie of the men and women in blue -- Barney Miller got it just right. Barney Miller Complete Third Season ($29.95; Sony) catches the show at a peak, just before Abe Vigoda would leave for his spin-off. Among the terrific episodes is the cast's personal favorite, the one where they all accidentally eat funny brownies and get stoned. One of the all time greats.

FINALLY --

The Boy In The Striped Pajamas ($29.99; Miramax) -- A heart-tugging Holocaust drama, which is not exactly a phrase that belongs together.

Dear Zachary ($29.99; Oscilloscope) -- A hard-to-believe documentary about a woman who apparently murders her husband and then seeks custody of the son she was carrying when allegedly committing the crime. The sort of tale that makes work easy for the folks on Law & Order.

SpongeBob Vs. The Big One ($19.99; Paramount) 90 minutes of nerdy fun, including Johnny Depp doing the voice of Jack Kahuna Laguna.

The Starter Wife Season One ($34.98; Universal) -- Debra Messing proves conclusively she's not a one-hit wonder with this miniseries turned hit TV show about a dumped woman in Hollywood.

Howard The Duck ($14.98; Universal) -- Sadly, NOT a cult favorite or a reviled film that deserves a new look. Just a very, very bad movie that retroactively ruined the reputation of the comic it's based on. George Lucas's biggest folly until Star Wars Episodes 1-3.

L'Innocente ($24.98; Koch) -- One of Visconti's less convincing period epics, this one set in the 1800s where a wealthy man cheats on his wife but is infuriated to discover she's cheating on him as well.

Crowley ($26.97; Anchor Bay) -- Simon Callow gloriously hams it up as "the Wickedest Man In The World," Aleister Crowley, whose soul takes over the body of a college professor prompting a lot of extracurricular activity for his more nubile students.

The Librarian: Curse Of The Judas Chalice ($24.96; Sony) -- ER may be coming to an end but Noah Wyle can take comfort in this TV movie franchise where he plays Flynn Carson, librarian by day and vampire hunter/adventurer by night.

Transporter 3 Special Edition ($34.98; Lionsgate) -- Once to the well too often for this simple-minded series about a "transporter." Star Jason Statham had a much better time this year with The Bank Job ($19.98; Lionsgate).

Hotel Babylon Season 3 ($39.98; BBC Video) -- The Brits can do some brilliant comedy and great period miniseries, but the US still kicks their butt when it comes to trashy soaps like this one, a spin on the old Hotel series. The staff never seems quite sexy enough and the tawdry goings-on not quite tawdry enough. Still, better than that low-rent show about flight attendants.

Head Case Season 1 ($19.97; Anchor Bay) -- A would-be "outrageous" series about a therapist for celebrities with an oddball staff (including a one-armed assistant) and a parade of celeb guests who parody themselves. This ain't no Garry Shandling, but it is nice to see Steve Landesberg of Barney Miller back in action.

Paul Rudd Likes Naked Time And Dancing (VIDEO)

2009-03-12T09:48:00Z

Paul Rudd, making the talk show rounds to promote his new movie "I Love You Man," did a dance on "The Daily Show" Wednesday night, as seen below.

He also is being outed as a nudity lover by an old friend:

"He always liked to get naked. Anybody that lived in his fraternity house would tell you. And yes, he is a frat boy, no matter how much he would go screaming from that now," sportscaster Joe Buck, an old friend of Rudd, tells Time magazine.

Here is Rudd dancing, 2:10 in:

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Paul Rudd

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things With Demetri Martin

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Vanity Fair Picks New Legends Of Comedy (VIDEO)

2009-03-02T00:18:29Z

This month "Vanity Fair," chose new legends of comedy for a portfolio that uses classic comedic and historic characters to showcase their talents. As VF says in its intro:

In these tough times, America is lucky to have the community of comic talent featured here: men and women who will band together for the perfect setup, charm laughs from their audience, and seize on just about any icon.

The portfolio is mostly Judd Apatow's men (and their circle) but does include SNL alum Amy Poehler, House Bunny's Anna Faris and Arrested Development's Jason Bateman.

It begins with a jab at Vanity Fair itself and the famous "Tom Ford's Hollywood" cover that showed three nude starlets and the eponymous guest editor fully clothed. This time the shot includes Paul Rudd creepily sniffing Seth Rogan's neck while Jonah Hill and Jason Segel lounge in nude suits.

Next comes Danny McBride ("The Breakthrough") pictured as Jack Nicholson in "The Shining." He's the star of the new HBO comedy series "East Bound and Down," which has been critically well received.

And, of course, husband and wife team Amy Poehler and Will Arnett featured here as the "Accomplices." Both are working on NBC shows, Arnett on "30 Rock" and Poehler on the upcoming "Parks and Recreation."

Also pictured are Russell Brand as Charlie Chaplin; Paul Rudd as Gene Wilder's character from "Young Frankenstein"; Bill Hader, Anna Farris, Jason Bateman, and Leslie Mann as The Honeymooners; Jonah Hill as George Washington; Jason Segel as Buster Keaton; and this Kahlo-inspired pic that looks nothing like Seth Rogan.

Vanity Fair's site also has video of each of the shoots. Here's a look at some of the set-ups that didn't make the cut and short interviews with Jason Segel, Paul Rudd and Seth Rogan:

New York Times Weekender Weekender Weekender Ad

2009-02-04T19:32:43Z

If you live near New York City, or even in New England, you see the TV ad for the New York Times Weekender subscription a lot. A lot, a lot. Perhaps this ad even runs nationally? Regardless, the new 92YTribeca facility, which has been booking lots of great comedy shows (thank you, Bart Coleman), just released this new advertisement directed by Michael Showalter and featuring Paul Rudd and many funny stand-up comedians. Enjoy!

Karen Bookatz: True Bromance?

2009-01-30T17:05:06Z

Last night I attended a screening of I Love You, Man (to be released in March), starring Paul Rudd, Jason Segel and Rashida Jones. The premise is that Rudd's character -- newly-engaged (and impossibly nebbishy) real-estate broker Peter Klaven, who is utterly lacking in the male friend department -- is in desperate need of finding a best man for his pending nuptials. This dilemma incites an almost Sisyphean quest to win dude friendships, which includes Peter going on a number of "man dates."

I don't want to ruin it (though you can probably guess what happens), so I won't say much more other than I Love you, Man is being marketed as the latest incarnation of the "bromance" movie genre, though it -- rather surprisingly -- isn't a part of Judd Apatow's bromantic movie empire (save a familiar confluence of actors). I nevertheless enjoyed the movie, sustaining more than a few LOL moments; however, its played-out plotline left me wondering: How long will the BroCo (bromantic comedy) genre continue to linger?

In the world of television, that incorrigible frat boy, Brody Jenner, has his own show, the prosaically-titled Bromance, centered around this very topic, while the dudes from Entourage are still "hugging it out," as they say. Further, now that the bromantic-comedy-of-the-summer, Pineapple Express, was just released on DVD (and Blu-ray), soon enough, I gather, you'll be hearing about the coolest new Friday night pastime: Chips, dips and James Franco. And finally, Judd Apatow has a whole slew of movies slated to come out in the next year -- including the already buzzing Funny People, starring Seth Rogen and Adam Sandler -- the bulk of which undoubtedly smack of "bromance." So, it would seem, there's no sign of the "dudes platonically loving dudes" genre fading...or not in the recent future anyway.

As I've implied, it's not like I hate these movies -- I actually think most of them are pretty darn funny. But, in addition to being hackneyed, BroCos can't really claim to offer any modicum of boundary-busting cinema...which brings me to the one of the best movies I've seen in the past month, I Love You Phillip Morris (which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival), which tells the (true) story of two gay men who fall in love in prison, starring Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor. Instead of going for cheap laughs about two straight men sharing a love of smoking pot, two men actually fall in love in this movie, like for real.

So let's pray for the BroCo's quick and painless death, shall we, and champion films that actually (and whole-heartedly) tackle the nuances of what it really means to be in a same-sex relationship.

Spencer Green: Sneak Peek: Super Super Bowl Commercials!

2009-01-30T08:44:43Z

Super Bowl XLIII is just a few days away and, along with that enduring celebration of thinly-disguised homoeroticism, comes the even more enduring anticipation of the commercials that NBC will broadcast during that event. Huffington Post's illustrious contributor Victoria Gotch dismisses these commercials as "stupid" and if by "stupid" she means "the best commercials that $3 million for 30 seconds of air time can buy," then I must agree, with the whole of my heart. Some sneak previews:

Guys Like Beer Beer - Picture: Two guys at home kicking back, eating wings, watching MMA and about to pop open some ice cold Guys Like Beer Beer when...their girlfriends show up, all nagging and, like, "I thought we were going out tonight" and the usual girlfriend stuff, you know what I'm talking about. Enter: The Guys Like Beer Beer Beer Guy! He beats the shit out of the ladies and steals their shoes, thus allowing the guys more time for each other and more importantly...their beer! Why? Because Guys Like Beer Beer is for guys who like beer! And why is that? Because guys like beer!!

GoodLuckInAllYourFutureEndeavors.com - In the tradition of internet recruitment websites like Monster.com, this alerts people who currently have jobs as to exactly when they will be fired during the next six months. GoodLuckInAllYourFutureEndeavors.com has resources inside every business sector that will give unsuspecting employees around the country up to five precious hours before the axe falls. Why, just listen to this stirring testimonial from former Caterpillar manager Jackson O. Polenter:

GoodLuckInAllYourFutureEndeavors.com restored some dignity to a difficult situation and supplied the extra time I needed to plan and wreak bloody revenge on all who wronged me. Thanks, GoodLuckInAllYourFutureEndeavors.com! I regret nothing!

Pepsi With Ammonia - After Pepsi Extreme, Rectal Pepsi, and Diet Pepsi With Sweetbreads, the soft drink giant will unveil its new twist on the classic soft drink, for a generation that's not afraid to live on the edge or mix things with household bleach! All the great taste you have come to expect from Pepsi, plus the added kick of NH³. What--are you afraid? Are you a pussy? Come on--it's still better than Mountain Dew!

Radium Coke - Not to be outdone by rival Pepsi, Coca-Cola introduces its latest product with an epic commercial that salutes its own 1971 hilltop "I'd like to buy the world a Coke" ad, with a cross-section of new, hip young people singing at night, their bodies aglow in radioactive luminousness caused by ingesting the metallic element. Touchingly beautiful, beautifully touching.

The Ford Hellfreezer - At last: American automotive technology and ingenuity are delivering the ultimate environmentally sound hybrid vehicle whose emissions actually purify the air while providing unheard of fuel efficiency and manly, supercharged power with immediate response when you step on the pedal--all for only $15,000! (note: will not be ready until 2546; prices may rise accordingly.)

Joe Mama (NBC) - From the producers of All-Star Beheadings and "Howie Mandel's Celebrity Catheter," comes this emotionally charged reality show for the spring in which ten fast-track career women are given promotions, then drugged and impregnated by NBC President and CEO Jeff Zucker, then told that Roe vs. Wade has been overturned by the Supreme Court. Who will be first to get across the border for an "illegal" abortion and who will be stuck with an unwanted child that will receive no love?

The Mongoloids - Highly anticipated trailer for one of Judd Apatow's 35 comedies this year: Ace (Seth Rogen) and Jeb (Paul Rudd) are hard-up single guys who watch so much porn, smoke so much pot, and play so many video games that they inadvertently reassemble their DNA and develop Down's syndrome. Much to their surprise, hot women revel in their lovable, tongue-protruding, drool-flinging ways, with laughs and lessons aplenty.

PETA Ad #2 - Now that NBC has rejected PETA's commercial which featured scantily dressed models masturbating with vegetables as "not utilizing enough summer squash," the animal rights organization is going with an old standby: footage of Scottish Fold kitties in a sock intercut with Nazis, drunk frat boys tipping cows, dancing animated pigs from "Hee Haw," obese men stuck to vinyl couches, and Iron Eyes Cody crying beet juice.

Balderdash Investments - One of the country's oldest and most trusted financial firms reveals a new, more transparent approach in dealing with its clients that befits the Obama era. President Stanley Balderdash V tells viewers that he and his highly-paid advisers have absolutely no idea what the fuck is going on and, at no time in the past, ever did. "Balderdash Investments. We've got nothing. But at least we admit it."

Scott Mendelson: Best/Favorite Films 0f 2008

2009-01-05T11:53:05Z

The Ten Favorite/Best Films of 2008

by Scott Mendelson

Now that I've seen pretty much every piece of end of the year Oscar-bait, I realize that I could have written this list over Thanksgiving and been pretty on the mark. Many of the awards bait films were good, but none of them were truly great. So, with most of the major films in the bag, I can officially write the 'best films of the year' list (possibly worthy films I missed - The Reader, Rachel Getting Married, and Tell No One). However, as always, this is a list of my favorite films, not the 'best'. I guarantee there were better films in 2008 than at least a handful of entries here. But these are the most enjoyable, most moving, most compelling, and most intriguing movie going experiences from 2008. Here we go...

10. Lakeview Terrace
A social drama disguised as a popcorn thriller, this surprisingly potent film is actually a study in racism, class, and the frailty of moral absolutism. While Samuel L. Jackson has a few over-the-top moments as a racist cop who targets the mixed-race couple who moves in next door, he spends the majority of the film playing a simmering, angry man who is too proud to admit that his worldview is bathed in bitterness rather than conservative moral superiority. Patrick Wilson and Kerry Washington play a young, idealistic stereotypically liberal couple who discover ugly truths about themselves, as well as the practical limits of their progressive pacifism. Like all good social criticism, in the end, no one's hands are clean and everyone is wrong. Like a few films on this list, this one is better than its reputation.

9. The Bank Job
Finally, Jason Statham gets the opportunity to do his thing in a film of real quality. Based on a true story of the Bakers Street bank vault heist, this 1970s period piece is awash in British politics and rich character work. Roger Donaldson re-establishes himself as a director of top-notch thrillers, and this film stands tall as the best caper film in many years.

8. You Don't Mess With The Zohan
The years happiest surprise, this stunningly optimistic and surprisingly thoughtful Adam Sandler comedy confronts the Israel/Palestine conundrum head on and decides to 'give peace a chance'. Starring Sandler as an ex-Israeli soldier who fakes his death and moves to New York to become a hair dresser, this film takes equal comic potshots at Israelis and Palestinians and dares offer gentle, but pointed criticism of both cultures' inexplicable need to murder each other over a random patch of land. Writers Sandler, Judd Apatow, and Robert Smigel add a sharp, socially conscious wit to the usual Sandler buffoonery. I am not a fan of Adam Sandler comedies, but this is the best film he has ever made.

7. Wall-E/Kung Fu Panda
Two great cartoons from the two biggest animation houses in the business. One is an artful, socially minded fable that is as touching and sweet as it is mournful and haunting. The other is a rip-snorting action film that happens to feature Dustin Hoffman's best performance since Moonlight Mile, as well as Jack Black's best film work ever. Wall-E takes the classic Pixar morality play ('Do I merely survive in safety or truly live in danger?') and applies it to the entire human race, a struggle seen through the eyes of two lonely robots who find love on a decimated Earth. Kung Fu Panda dares to be a real action drama, with expertly staged and emotionally intense combat scenes and the character development to match. Both films are character rich and visually gorgeous. They couldn't be more different, but they are both incredibly potent family entertainments. Why choose one?

6. Hancock
One of the more divisive movies of the year, this thoughtful and touching fable of a man in search of his own identity is cleverly disguised as a wham-bam super hero comedy headlined by the biggest star on the planet. Whether taken as a metaphor for America's relationship with the rest of the world, or simply taken as a friendship between two men who both sincerely want to help the world, this is a messy, imperfect movie that is absolutely a piece of art. Jason Bateman gives one of the best performances of the year, and Will Smith never holds back the sadness and self-pity that form the core of his ornery, irresponsible super hero. I've seen this movie a few times and it gets better each viewing. Don't hate it because of what it's not. Love it for what it is.

5. Frozen River
Melissa Leo, from Homicide: Life on the Street, finally gets a film role worthy of her talents. She and Misty Upam (no slouch herself) anchor a strikingly sparse, but brutally powerful film about the pain and stench of poverty and the desperation of the working poor. Leo stars as an impoverished mother of two, who turns to smuggling illegal aliens across the border in order to feed her family. The film works fine as a slow-paced thriller, but its core value is a stark depiction of a world all too hidden in modern America, where dinner consists of popcorn and tang, ambition consists of being promoted to full time at the Dollar Store, and families dream of living in double-wide trailers so they can be just a little warmer at night. It's a dark, morality play set in a world where people have no bootstraps to pull themselves up by in the first place.

4. Role Models
The funniest film of the year, and proof that Wet Hot American Summer was no fluke. In a year where everyone wanted to be Judd Apatow, director David Wain topped the current king of comedy by toning down the smut and adding just a touch of low-key empathy to the sorts of juvenile losers that usually exist merely as foils. Any film can toss in a medieval-role-playing-obsessed nerd and a profanity-spewing African American kid, but this film dares to treat these stereotypes as flesh and blood characters, worthy of our empathy and respect. Paul Rudd (in his first lead role) and Sean William Scott (in his best work since The Rundown) bring just enough plausibility to the film, so that by the time the climactic action scene goes down (and said climax is truly the best action scene of the year), you're laughing because you realize you're more invested in the 'comic action' than you were in the many summer action spectacles.