Jeremy Irons

Beautiful Creatures Movie Trailer
Movie Trailers

Beautiful Creatures Trailer: Teen Romance Is Tough When You're a Witch

If you think transferring to a new school is hard, try doing it when tragic accidents and death seem to follow you everywhere you go.
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If you think transferring to a new school is hard, try doing it when tragic accidents and death seem to follow you everywhere you go. That's the case for Lena Duchannes (Alice Englert) in the big-screen adaptation of bestselling young adult novel Beautiful Creatures. The broody teen is on her fourth school, and with her 16th birthday looming, she must decide whether or not to "go dark" and use her inherited sorcery powers for evil. Of course, she must do this all while juggling a romance with an understanding peer (Alden Ehrenreich) and facing an entire town that has turned against her. Talk about pressure.

If you've read the book, you know that Lena is a "caster," but that's not exactly clear in the trailer; she comes across as a kind of generically magic person. Emmy Rossum looks great as Lena's cousin, and I'm looking forward to seeing more of Viola Davis, but I'm holding my breath on whether or not this supernatural story will be the next Twilight saga. The movie will be released on Feb. 13 of next year, but you can watch the trailer when you read more.

Zoe Saldana and Bradley Cooper at The Words LA Premiere
Bradley Cooper

Zoe Saldana and Bradley Cooper Reunite For The Words

Bradley Cooper and Zoe Saldana teamed up to premiere The Words in LA last night.
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Bradley Cooper and Zoe Saldana teamed up to premiere The Words in LA last night. Zoe wore a gold Elie Saab number while Bradley looked dapper in a Tom Ford suit. The onscreen couple are reportedly back together in real life as well after a brief split in March. Bradley talked about Zoe on the carpet saying that she "brought so much to the movie and a depth to it that we didn't really bargain for." In turn, "the movie became very romantic" and "much deeper." Their costars, including Jeremy Irons, Dennis Quaid, and Ben Barnes, were on hand to support the project, which hits theaters on Friday. James Van Der Beek and his wife, Kimberly Brook, as well as Perrey Reeves, popped up on the red carpet, too. One person absent from the event was leading lady Olivia Wilde, who was recently spending time in North Carolina with boyfriend Jason Sudeikis.

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The Borgias Pilot Review
TV

Pilot Scoop: The Borgias

Now that The Tudors is long gone, the folks over at Showtime are attempting to fill the void with their brand new historical series, The Borgias.
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Now that The Tudors is long gone, the folks over at Showtime are attempting to fill the void with their brand new historical series, The Borgias. Before the show premieres tonight, here's a rundown on everything you need to know.

What it's about: Jeremy Irons stars as Rodrigo Borgia, a cardinal who rises to power when he seizes the Roman papacy through corrupt means during the Renaissance. As Pope Alexander VI, he struggles to stay one step ahead of his enemies and protect his family, which includes sons Cesare and Juan, and daughter Lucrezia. Cesare has his own inner conflict as a bishop who would rather be a warrior like his brother Juan, while teenage Lucrezia represents an opportunity to add to her family's power through a conveniently arranged marriage with someone of her father's choosing — even if that's not what she wants.

Where it works: It's hard to deny the gorgeous sets and costumes as The Borgias takes us back to Renaissance Italy and all that comes with it. Irons gives a rich performance that's entertaining and sparks intrigue, and I was also impressed with François Arnaud as Cesare.

Where it doesn't: Showtime has been touting the show as a historical version of The Godfather, as it centers on one of the biggest crime families in history. Unfortunately, the pilot just doesn't pack much punch. It's pretty, but the plot moves at a snail's pace and none of the characters are truly captivating. It's possible that we're just getting the tip of the iceberg here, but I wanted more soapiness and drama — even with a few sex scenes, this is no substitute for The Tudors.

Am I hooked? I'm sorry to say that I'm not. I'll stick with it for a few more episodes, but if it doesn't pick up the pace soon, I'm afraid it's going to have a hard time finding an audience that will keep coming back.

To watch a preview for the show, just read more

Alec Baldwin to Quit Acting in 2012
Link Time

Link Time — Alec Baldwin Still Plans to Quit Acting in 2012

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Movie Review: Appaloosa
Movies

Appaloosa: Solid Entertainment But Could Have Been More

Appaloosa is a totally passable and — to my surprise — fun (and funny) Western movie.
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Appaloosa is a totally passable and — to my surprise — fun (and funny) Western movie. I'm amazed Ed Harris, the star/director/co-writer of the film, hasn't played more gunslingers, because his face was built for it. Under the shadow of a wide-brimmed hat, his skin looks believably weathered and creased, his bone structure sturdy and chiseled. By contrast, Harris's costar, Viggo Mortensen, is not what I think of when I think "cowboy." He's long and lean and hardly recognizable under a strange (but probably historically accurate) haircut and facial hair. His character drags around one of those giant long-barreled shotguns as opposed to expertly twirling a smaller one out of his holster.

The pair make a fine acting duo; they have an easy chemistry I could watch all night long. Beyond that, Appaloosa tells a well-thought-out story. But unlike Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven or last year's remake of 3:10 to Yuma, there is no new cinematic ground being broken here. For the most part, it's simply a traditional Western, which — depending on your outlook — can either be a great way to spend a night at the movies or a teensy bit disappointing. To see what I mean, just read more

Movie Preview: Appaloosa
Movies

Movie Preview: Appaloosa

Appaloosa hasn't really been on my radar since the casting news was first announced over a year ago, which I find odd, especially since it stars some pretty big names, is directed by Ed Harris, and looks all Western epic-y.
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Appaloosa hasn't really been on my radar since the casting news was first announced over a year ago, which I find odd, especially since it stars some pretty big names, is directed by Ed Harris, and looks all Western epic-y. By contrast, we've had to see every new photo and poster and trailer for Australia as that film has been in production — and that one's coming out two months after this one. So, I find the lack of Appaloosa awareness to be strange.

Then again, the trailer's not totally fascinating. It's a dusty, dramatic Western. There are manly men (Viggo Mortensen, Ed Harris, Jeremy Irons) and guns and a brief flash or two of a woman's face (Renee Zellweger). The plot description states, "Two friends hired to police a small town that is suffering under the rule of a rancher find their job complicated by the arrival of a young widow."

My favorite thing is the tagline on the movie's official website: "Feelings get you killed."

Is the fact that we haven't heard much about this a bad thing? Not necessarily. But I'm still a little puzzled. Appaloosa opens in limited release Sept. 17 before its wide release Oct. 3. To check out the trailer, read more

Link Time! 7/1
Lost

Link Time! 7/1

Popwatch writer Annie Barrett has a hilarious note that her mother passed to her father on a plane, explaining how to adjust the volume on an iPod, which prompted Annie to ask: What's the most basic technological instruction you've had to explain to the tragically unhip?
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