When I think of the word ‘superhero’ Seth Rogen—the awkward fella that starred in Knocked Up or The 40-Year-Old Virgin—isn’t the first person to pop into my mind. If you compare him to other conventional fictional characters, he lacks many of the stereotypical superhero qualities. Just think of Hugh Jackman’s masculine physique in X-Men Origins: Wolverine or Christian Bale’s innate bad-boy Batman persona inThe Dark Knight and, well, you’ll know how Rogen doesn’t quite fit.
But director’s Michel Gondry’s (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Be Kind Rewind) The Green Hornet isn’t meant to be ordinary. Based on the 1936 radio series, the film details the life of Rogen’s character Britt Reid. Reid’s bachelor lifestyle of wild shenanigans and partying are rattled following the death of his father. As an heir to his father’s large company, by day Reid reigns over as a newspaper publisher and owner. At night, the masked vigilante fights crime with his father’s assistant Kato. Starring Jay Chou, Kato is best described as a “human Swiss Army Knife.” Chou’s fighting abilities are beyond impressive and outshine Rogen’s. Along with his writing partner Evan Goldberg, Rogen co-wrote the script to seamlessly match and adhere to his inability to convincingly play a typical and over-the-top superhero. And it works.
The twosome protect citizens by breaking the law in Los Angeles, the city where people think the duo are villains rather than heroes. With the help of Reid’s new secretary Lenore Case (Cameron Diaz), the pair work toward hunting down the city’s surprisingly witty underworld leader Benjamin Chudnofsky, played by Christopher Waltz. While Waltz easily mesmerized audiences with his daunting portrayal of the Schutzstaffel in Quentin Tarantino’s 2009 Inglourious Basterds, as a villain he fails—quite purposely—to entice a similar fear from his audience.
With its action-packed 3-D scenes, good humour and lightheartedness, The Green Hornet will take you on an enjoyable ride where—if you’re up to it—you can put that fly swatter you brought with you away.
When Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie confirmed their starring roles in director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck’s latest film, most fans and critics were simply delighted. ‘The Tourist’ quickly became one of the most highly anticipated movies of the year as two of Hollywood’s biggest and most sought after actors would finally share the big screen.
But with the release of the movie trailer, my hopes for a Depp-Jolie semi-masterpiece were quickly and easily squandered. The promotional teaser is bland, unoriginal and forgettable. The film itself, unfortunately, makes a poor job at proving it’s more than a mindless romantic-comedy-action-thriller. Yet, for some, perhaps that’s more than enough.
Jolie stars as Elise Ward, a mysterious Englishwoman with impeccable fashion taste and elegance. She is the lover of Alexander Pearce, a criminal with a target on his back due to stealing $2.3 billion from a gangster. The movie starts off with Elise receiving a note from Pearce in a cafe in Paris, where she is instructed to board the train to Venice. On board, Elise must choose a man of similar height and build to Pearce to serve as a decoy. Cue in Depp who plays Frank Tupelo, a seemingly innocent disheveled math teacher from Wisconsin. Upon their arrival to Venice, Elise invites Frank to her hotel room where a lacklustre kiss results into Frank making a morning run for his life. Indeed, people now assume Frank is Pearce–a financial genius who also altered his appearance with $20 million worth of cosmetic surgery.
Quite a captivating story, isn’t it? Oh, barely.
The film moves too slowly and the story line never accomplishes its goal of truly intriguing the audience. There’s far too little action, yet surprisingly more humour than one might expect. And while it’s a bit refreshing to see Depp stray away from his usual flamboyant roles (which he excels at all too well), Jolie hardly steps too far away from her Salt or Wanted-like role, which is just too repetitive and too common now, even for her. Donnersmarck capitalizes on Jolie’s ability to pull off the femme fatale role effortlessly and perhaps the director relies on this a bit too much. Throughout the film, the camera constantly lingers on Jolie’s flawless features for a moment too long. Yeah we get it, she’s stunning. The subtle filming technique suddenly comes off as creepy and a tad odd, leaving audiences to feel they are invading too much of Elise/Jolie’s personal space.
While the movie does manage to have its enjoyable moments with its stunning Venice views and somewhat comical one-liners, its easily forgettable and painstakingly predictable plot might make viewers wonder why Depp and Jolie even bothered with such a project.
Spencer Pratt is one of those boys who, even at the age of 25, will always be a boy.
He’s the villain from the fake-reality TV show ‘The Hills.’ And while most people beyond Lauren Conrad cannot stand sitting in the same room as him, he does work hard at being the privileged son of a successful dentist.
Some us know it takes a lot to be obnoxious, spoiled and damn right irritating.
And while I resisted ranting about Spencer for several months now, his most recent “headline” was simply the last straw (number 1 on the list below). In other words, with a move like that, Spencer is begging for some word bashing.
But why do most people really express a deep hatred or dislike toward Spencer? While there are countless of reasons, I struggled to narrow it down.
I know what you’re thinking.
James Morrison
Since when do I rave more than rant? It appears that my admiration for certain figures in the pop-culture world outweighs my dislike for others. Odd but true. However, I assure you one thing:
It won’t last long.
But the reason for my back-to-back raves is due to one celebrity in particular—singer James Morrison (please note: not to be mistaken with Jim Morrison from ‘The Doors’).
James Morrison, the 24-year-old English singer-songwriter and guitarist, surely knows how to melt my heart. In 2006, his debut single “You Give Me Something” became a hit in Australia, Japan and Europe. His first album “Undiscovered” debuted at the top of the UK Album Chart and made Morrison the best selling male solo artist of 2006 in the UK.
Read more…
There’s something about certain male actors over the age of 40 (but have yet to hit the 50 mark) that makes ladies and men of all ages goo-goo-gaa-gaa for them.
You know who these men are. They are the actors that straight men will shamelessly admit that even they would fantasize about these stars.
These men are charming, attractive and, most importantly, talented.
So whether you are fifteen years their junior or ten years their senior, here are five (although there are many more) contemporary actors who still capture our hearts and make us blush like little schoolgirls.
Music artists and movie stars never fail to entertain me (however, I do get easily amused). Whether I laugh with them (or, in most cases, at them) or actually pity their heartaches and failures (which doesn’t happen often)—I always look forward to the next celebrity hook-up/screw-up.
And the month of April did not disappoint. Here are the five best and worst moments in pop culture that made me grateful that such somewhat petty life moments in my life aren’t publicized for the world:
BEST:
5) Pink Reunites with H(e)art:
One can’t help but assume the following:
a) Pink’s estranged husband Carey Hart decided to give his relationship another try after watching the boyfriend/husband torturing, knee-breaking video his wife created for her single ‘Please Don’t Leave Me.’
Or
b) Pink and Carey realized that they are meant to be with one another, at least for another year.
Either way, I’m happy.
Granted, parenthood is complex. Children need unconditional love, stability and guidance.
When parents fail to provide any of those needs, you end up with the childhood version of Drew Barrymore.
Based on the number of celebs who have entered rehab in recent years, it’s obvious that more than a handful have some loose screws. While many blame a star’s inability to adjust to a lifestyle of fame and fortune for their problems, perhaps more responsibility should be placed on those who have raised them.
Before you leave me a 500-word thrashing on how I must not understand the difficulties of parenthood, realize that I am not claiming that any parent of a celebrity is a horrible person—just someone in vital need of re-evaluating their very questionable parenting skills.
Without further ado, here are parents of celebrities who, like many of their children, need some mental help:
Singer-songwriter, dancer, fashion model, actress Ciara is quite the force to be reckoned with. Even if you tried to, it’s almost impossible to deny her rising influence in the music industry.
After the 23-year-old artist first released her single and album ‘Goodies,’ (which sold over five million records worldwide) in 2004, rumours surrounding Ciara’s sex arose. Some critics assumed that this foolish speculation would result in an early demise for this young singer.
But, in one of those (many) life moments, they were proven wrong.
Two years later, Ciara’s second album ‘Ciara: The Evolution’ went platinum five weeks after its release. Her chart topping singles “Get Up”, “Like a Boy” and “Promise” and her appearance in Missy Elliot’s Grammy award winning video “Lose Control” proved this artist was just starting to make her mark.
Now, Ciara’s upcoming highly anticipated third album “Fantasy Ride” is certain to be her biggest career hit to date. According to reports, the album includes guest appearances by Ludacris, Young Jeezy, Missy Elliot and the now media disgraced Chris Brown.
Both her collaborations with Enrique Iglesias for “Takin’ Back My Love” and Justin Timberlake for “Love Sex Magic” exude an overwhelming mixture of sexiness and classiness. In both videos, even with the presence of good/bad boys Enrique and Justin, Ciara manages to steal the spotlight.
Back in the day, the word “Disney” brought thoughts of fairy godmothers, evil stepsisters and happily ever afters into our minds. The Disney stars that most of us looked up to were Cinderella, Pocahontas and, of course, Mickey Mouse (although now I’m not sure why).
But nowadays, all that has changed. When most children and teenagers hear the word “Disney,” they tend to think of the famous actors whose careers were launched on the television network, the Disney Channel.
Due to shows like ‘Hannah Montana’ or the Disney Channel Original Movie ‘High School Musical,’ it is now virtually impossible to ignore any gossip associated with Disney’s princess Miley Cyrus or Brangelina wannabes Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens.
With plenty of shame, I will admit that even I watch some of these shows on a somewhat regular basis (I fully blame my boyfriend’s younger nieces for my sudden semi-addiction to shows like ‘Wizards of Waverly Place’ and ‘Sonny With a Chance’).
When it comes to artists twenty and under, I tend to, how do I put this, ignore them.
If, on the rare occasion, these stars actually pen the music they sing, I have a difficult time relating to their stories about bubblegum and falling madly in love at the age of twelve.
But, in recent years, the likes of Rihanna, Joss Stone, Adele and, more specifically, Taylor Swift, have proved me (*cringe*) wrong.
And no, I do not consider Miley Cyrus or The Jonas Brothers remotely close in that category.
From all of the young artists who have emerged in the last few years or so, Taylor Swift, without a doubt, is my favourite. Although barely 20, Taylor has cemented her place in the country-pop world.
Here are five reasons why I think Taylor will rock for years to come:
When The Pussycat Dolls shot to worldwide fame after they released their dance hit “Don’t Cha,” perhaps above and beyond the other group members, critics and fans adored Queen Doll Nicole Scherzinger.
Now, four years later, it seems that the group’s lead vocalist receives more negative criticism than support. On sites like YouTube and other message board forums, countless of “fans” accuse Nicole of constantly providing lead vocals while other vocally talented members, most notably Melody Thornton, rarely, if ever, sing.
But why does that still surprise people?
When the group originally signed their record deal, Nicole was specifically given the role of lead singer. At no point were Thornton, Jessica Sutta, Ashley Roberts, Kimberly Wyatt or ex-member Carmit Bachar given equal status in the group.
So yes, while the name Nicole and The Pussycat Dolls may be more suitable, I have yet to hear the other Dolls complain that they are just merely background dancers to Nicole.
Read more…
From time to time, I’m all down for some self-pity music. Once in awhile, I even like (some) lyrics that belt about broken hearts and broken dreams. But while some find such songs always comforting, others find an overuse extremely annoying.
I, of course, agree with the latter.
Let’s face it. We all have problems. Some of us confide our hatred for life on our Facebook statuses or on Twitter (oh you know who you are).
Others, like myself, prefer to keep our sorrow to ourselves.
The best complainers are artists who whine about the roads they’ve paved. Oh and about the millions of dollars they earned. And about how their ridiculous fame is too much for them to handle, as though they had no choice in the matter.
So, without further ado, here’s to the top five whiniest music singles (although there is many more) written by singers who, for one reason or another, think they have it a lot worse than their fans.
(Warning: Do not be alarmed if Simple Plan takes up most of the five spots).
Contrary to what Nicole Ritchie, Lindsay Lohan, the Olsen Twins, Brittany Flickinger or, more recently, Samuel Hextall might think, Paris Hilton is my new best friend.
She has a lot going for her and more. From beauty, brains and success, Paris has everything that women around the world envy.
Sigh.
And while many critics constantly bash this “underrated” socialite I, for one, just love her. Yes I do!
So it should come as no surprise that I can only hope that, someday, actresses like Natalie Portman, Anne Hathaway and all those other non-drinkers and sane stars will take a cue and follow the footsteps of this wonderful being.
When it comes to Hollywood, as the old and overused saying goes, there’s no such thing as bad press.
But we know that’s just bull. Such a line is used for people who, let’s face it, crave bad publicity because they realize others have finally caught onto their uselessness and lack of talent.
Lindsay Lohan, I’m looking at you.
Yet somehow, the month of March barely gave us any of these headliners. Quite impressive considering Tinseltown is full of train wrecks and yesterday’s news.
So, as usual, here are the best and worst moments in entertainment, music, and everything else pop culture that this month had to offer.
Now this rant isn’t about Brad Pitt as an actor because, I’ll admit, I’m quite a big fan of both his performances and his movie career choices.
But it’s his personal life that I’m not the biggest fan of whatsoever.
He’s like the forbidden fruit – the apple that most women around the world would love to sink their teeth into. Just ask Angelina Jolie or, years before, Jennifer Aniston. (Yes, I just mentioned those two in a sentence without picking one over the other. It’s possible you know).
Yet as people continue to argue that Angelina is a home-wrecker (because she partially is) and that Jennifer makes shitty movies (because, for the most part, she does) I’ve always wondered why no one bothered to look at the real problem here.
You know that fellow er, whatshisname, the one that’s in every other freakin’ movie lately?
You know, just to name a few, the guy who plays Phoebe’s husband in the sitcom “Friends”?
Or, better yet, the dude who gets high on shrooms with Ben in the pop culture hit “Knocked Up”?
What’s his name again? Paul Rudd? Yeah, that’s him.
I love him.
And so do you.
Read more…
When it comes to life in Hollywood, it’s almost impossible to escape the spotlight. From breakups to hook-ups, to career breakthrough and downfalls—we know all about it.
And while some stars deserve the attention and fame—we can’t quite figure out why others get it. From the train wrecks to those that manage to lead somewhat normal lives, here’s a list of the top five under/over rated celebrities.
UNDERRATED:
5) Pussycat Dolls: While these dolls are better known for their minimal outfits or their “people can bend that way?” dance moves, they rarely get credit for their music.
This rant is long past its expiry date.
Just like Lindsay Lohan’s and Samantha Ronson’s relationship.
These two really need to grow up and move on. Even though I think these two deserve each other—both have successful careers (somewhat), unstable emotional and verbal outbursts and act like children in public—together they make Britney and K-Fed’s relationship look sane and normal.
Now that’s bad.
But really, how many times a week can we read about LoRon’s roller coaster relationship? This past week, TMZ.com reported that Lohan flew from Los Angeles to Las Vegas in order to surprise her (wo) man. She showed up at the club where Ronson was spinning and, after a few drinks (what else is new?) and some trashy/wild dancing, Lohan went to the bathroom. When she came out, Ronson was already gone.
Ah, smart move. Read more…
I love happy couples.
But I adore the awfulness of the terrible ones as well.
Whether you like to admit it or not, television couples are the best kind out there. From reality shows to sitcoms, we cheer on the Rosses and Rachels and roll our eyes at the Simons and Paulas. Either way, here’s a breakdown of some of the best and worst television couples.
BEST “They were made for each other” Couple:
Ross and Rachel: This is a given. Without Ross and Rachel, I wouldn’t believe in love. Before the birth of Emma, how many of us knew condoms were only 99 per cent effective in preventing pregnancy? Well, we do now. We thank the makers for helping bring these two together.
Taylor Kitsch. Gift to mankind. If his name doesn’t ring a bell, it will soon enough.
Think troubled/bad-boy high school football star Tim Riggins on NBC’s critically acclaimed show–Friday Night Lights (also known as one of the best shows on television). Sure he may play a drunken jackass/sweetheart in half—okay pretty much all—of the episodes to date, but he still manages to look undeniably sexy doing so.
And that’s talent.
But before his role as a high school fullback on the Dillon Panthers football team, Kitsch caught the eyes of many fans in David Richard Ellis’ Snakes on a Plane. Later, he also stared in The Covenant alongside pretty-boy wannabe Chace (yawn) Crawford. Sure the movies weren’t memorable (okay, I can’t remember either one) but Kitsch made it to the big screen.
In Hollywood, that’s all that matters.
