The Lycos 50 Blog: News from the Pop Culture Fast Lane
Wednesday, 11 April 2007
This past Sunday evening, HBO debuted new episodes of The Sopranos and Entourage. The Sopranos drew an audience of 7.7 million viewers, which is down 19% from their most recent new episodes in March 2006. This will be the last new batch of episodes Sopranos fans will see - there are only nine episodes left of the series. The Sopranos, which premiered in 1999, has run for seven seasons on HBO.
Will Tony Soprano die?
Some might argue that The Sopranos is the best television series ever. Certainly, it excelled in making the "lower medium" of TV palatable to snobs who only watch movies. (Obviously, I am not one of these people, as I will sit around and watch The View.)
The big question going into this final run of episodes is: Who will die? Or, more specifically, will Tony Soprano, the head of the New Jersey crime family, bite the big one? The ending of The Sopranos will either see Tony paying for all of the strife and bloodshed he has caused over the years, or survive as the antihero he is.
My guess? Tony will not die. The death of Tony would be too traditional an ending for a series that has most often ignored traditional, moralistic sensibilities. Tony will continue to survive by the skin of his teeth; I would not expect anything less.
Entourage
Entourage also had a debut episode on Sunday night in which the lead character celebrated his birthday. Obviously a much lighter, frothier show than its Sunday night counterpart, Entourage does provide suspense in its own way. Much like James Gandolfini's Tony Soprano, Jeremy Piven's Ari Gold is a perfect coupling of actor and character, and his frantic Hollywood machinations are fantastic to behold. Obviously, Ari will use Medellin - and whatever else it takes - to win Vince back as a client, but it is gratifying to see him get a bit of a comeuppance in the meantime.
Although it is still quite dark and dismal outside - and it seems as if everyone in the office is fighting off the plague, I still cannot help but feel a tinge of excitement for summer. Every year, winter always seems to be more and more endless. Although this winter felt milder than many, I'm still getting a case of spring - or actually, summer - fever.
In addition to barbecues, trips to the beach, and relaxing for hours at outdoor cafes, a central focus of my anticipation is the summer movie season. So, here are the top 5 movies that I am looking forward to hitting the air-conditioned cinemas for this summer:
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
The best thing about Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest was - SPOILER ALERT! - the reveal of Captain Barbossa. Although that movie felt bloated and a bit (I hate to say it) boring, that moment alone left me excited for the third installment, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. With Chow Yun Fat and an appearance by Keith Richards, I hope that the third installment in the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy can redeem the mistakes of the second. The trailer looks promising.
(I just hope we get to see more of Commodore Norrington looking all rugged and scruffy...)
Spiderman 3
Spiderman 3 is another highly anticipated third installment in a popular trilogy. How will Peter Parker balance his relationship with Mary Jane with his responsibilities as Spiderman? Will Topher Grace be able to pull off a believable Venom? (Doesn't Topher Grace sort of seem like the poor man's Tobey Maguire?)
The Spiderman movies are always a fun mixture of action, comedy, and angst. I'm totally psyched about this popcorn flick.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
This one is a personal top pick of mine. Each installment of the Harry Potter movies has gotten progressively better. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban had a lovely artistic vision, and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire was both exciting and heartbreaking. The actors - especially Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe - have done fine jobs of growing into their characters.
That said, I have extremely high expectations for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Dolores Umbridge has always been one of the most terrifying villains to me throughout this series; I suppose we can all relate to having that one horrid teacher who seems to take immeasurable pleasure in the pain of others.
The Bourne Ultimatum
So I guess I like sequels. Jason Bourne tries to avoid being killed while simultaneously discovering the mysteries of his past.
Mostly, Matt Damon is really cute, especially in secret agent mode.
Evan Almighty
Evan Almighty breaks the mold of the big, epic action adventures that I anticipate, but it has one thing the other movies don't - Steve Carell. Steve Carell is, in my humble opinion, the funniest man working in Hollywood today. I would pay money to watch him just sit silently in a folding chair onscreen because I know that he would find a way to make it hilarious.
What is up with how Katie Holmes and Victoria Beckham are hanging out all the time lately? Apparently, the women are even teaming up to put out a children's clothing line (because Katie Holmes and Victoria Beckham both love clothes and being moms, imagine that!). Is Posh Spice on her way to becoming a Scientologist? Or is she actually working behind the scenes to subvert Tom Cruise's influence over poor, powerless Katie?
Rumor has it that Tom Cruise monitors pretty much every step Katie Holmes ever makes. Maybe what Katie really needs in her life right right now is a close girlfriend who can say things like, "Katie? The way Tom sends you 18 text messages within an hour? Its weird. Assert yourself. Seriously."
On Dawson's Creek, Joey Potter eventually dumped controlling, self-serious Dawson for cute, funny, easygoing Pacey. I think that Katie Holmes needs a Pacey of her own. (Don't we all, though?)
Paris Hilton's New Pet
Paris Hilton yet again has PETA members shaking their heads in disbelief with her adoption of a dwarf cat. What's wrong with adopting a cat? Well, a dwarf cat cannot function like a normal cat; its legs are too short, which can lead to easily broken bones, and other serious health issues. Is Paris Hilton willing to take the time and energy out of her schedule to care for such an animal? Is Paris Hilton willing to take the time and energy out of her schedule to care for any living being that is not named Paris Hilton?
It was bad enough when Paris was carting that little dog around like a purse. Why must she now target rare breeds? What's next - is Paris going to adopt a panda or a snow leopard?
Fans of American Idol may be a bit perplexed to note that the skinny kid with the terrible voice and uber-feminine haircut continues to be a presence on the show from week to week. How is Sanjaya Malakar surviving each elimination? Sanjaya is not particularly talented. Sanjaya is not particularly attractive (except, perhaps, to that one girl in the audience who always seems to be in tears when he is performing). Simon Cowell has said that if Sanjaya wins, he will leave American Idol. What force of nature is keeping Sanjaya in our lives?!
The answer may be found with a bunch of cynical fans posting on a website called Votefortheworst.com. As the site's mission statement says, "[American Idol] starts out every year encouraging us to point and laugh at all of the bad singers who audition. We want this hilariously bad entertainment to continue into the finals, so we choose the contestant that we feel provides the most entertaining train wreck performances and we start voting for them."
During the sixth season, Vote for the Worst has focused their attention on perhaps one of the most hopeless contestants yet with Sanjaya. His voice is weak, he has a dorky demeanor, and he always seems a bit lost. Simon's comments about his performances are usually quite hilarious. (My personal favorite: "It was like some ghastly lunch...where after lunch, the parents have asked the children to get up and sing.") He is, undoubtedly, the worst. But he has just survived yet another week due to these strangely powerful cynics who are determined to push him to the finals.
I have to say, I respect the idea of voting for the worst in the same way I have a grudging respect for hackers because they want to stick it to The Man. Of course, as goofy as Sanjaya is, it also seems horribly mean to turn him into a national joke when he could just quietly fade away and move on with his life.
Why does the world care so much about Heather Mills?
The estranged wife of Paul McCartney is currently competing in the latest season of Dancing with the Stars. Heather Mills, of course, has a prosthetic leg, and viewers are clearly either inspired by her determination or are frothing at the mouth to gape at an artificial limb flying across the stage. Nearly 22 million viewers tuned in to the season premiere, which is Dancing with the Stars' most successful season premiere yet.
In May, Heather Mills and Paul McCartney announced their divorce, and it has also provided the public wth a source of fascination. Rumors about the divorce have been widespread, including gossip that Heather had become involved with her personal trainer. In January, a divorce settlement was announced that has McCartney paying Heather 32 million pounds in cash and property.
Viewers on the ABC message boards are divided over whether they love or hate Heather (though some may love to hate her). Some are calling her a gold-digger (most likely ardent admirers of Sir Paul); others believe that she is an inspiration. Either way, dancing with one leg is pretty cool. I have two functioning legs and fall down getting out of my car.
On Tuesday, March 13, Tori Spelling gave birth to a son named Liam Aaron McDermott. Word is that her estranged mother, Candy Spelling, was at the hospital while Tori was giving birth. Tori and Candy have been at odds since the death of Aaron Spelling. When Aaron died, Tori was set to inherit a chunk of his $500 million dollar estate, but Candy, the executor of Aaron's will, only gave her a small portion of the money.
Tori's romantic life has been as soap operatic as her family life in recent years. After separating from her first husband, she quickly became engaged with Dean McDermott, an actor whom she met on the set of a television movie. McDermott had been married to actress Mary Jo Eustace, who later wrote a tell-all book. (Ouch!)
I truly hope that Tori finds the peace and happiness with her new family that her television character eventually found by marrying David Silver. Donna and David were a truly inspiring couple who overcame odds like high school nerdiness, getting drunk at the prom, abusive pumpkin-farmer-cum-rock-star Ray Pruit, cheating, atrocious dancing, learning disabilities, bad haircuts, racial warfare, disapproving parents, and Donna's attempt to become Rose Queen.
Though Tori Spelling played perhaps one of the most annoying and poorly dressed television characters of all time, I have sort of been rooting for her lately. I actually liked her VH1 show, "So NoTORIous." (It was funny!) It sort of warms my heart to hear that she and Candy may be reconciling. I'm such a softie.
She recently made a joke (and a kind of lame joke, at that) referring to John Edwards as a "faggot" at the Conservative Political Action Conference. Naturally, prominent Republicans John McCain, Rudy Giuliani, and Mitt Romney have condemned her comments and advertisers Sallie Mae, NetBank, and Verizon have pulled their sponsorships from Coulter's site. (These companies even went as far as pointing out that the ads had been placed by a third party and that they were unaware of them.)
Is Coulter inflicted with a terminal case of foot-in-mouth syndrome or does she make outrageous, mean-spirited comments in order to draw attention to herself? She seems to have a special skill at sparking controversy, such as when she commented that she had never seen people enjoying their husbands' deaths so much with regard to the 9/11 widows.
Whatever one may say about Coulter, few would say that they are indifferent to her. She is loved and hated and the fact that we are all talking about her means she must be doing something right. The woman is amazingly adept at creating press about herself.
So, is she doing the Republican party any favors? Or is she actually doing more for the Democrats by creating these stirs? When John Kerry remarked this fall that students who perform badly in school may end up getting stuck in Iraq, many Democrats cringed, but hey, whatever he may say, its never as terrible as what Coulter blathers.
Or really...should Ann Coulter just go away? (I vote for that last option, although I must admit that I always enjoy seeing what Jon Stewart has to say about her.)
Despite their unwieldy length and awkward banter, I still park myself in front of the TV for 4+ hours to watch the Academy Awards each year. It is really an Event. Of course, after the first half hour, when the show is firmly entrenched in boring technical awards and dull montages, I wonder why I consider it such an event. But I do love movies, so always wait around until the bitter end, which is inevitably never, ever a surprise.
But, really, the part of the Academy Awards I love most is the fashion. So, let's take a look at some of my favorite outfits of the year:
I adore Kate. Not only is she a wonderful actress who picks interesting roles, but she always looks classy and gorgeous. And I so respect her for not dieting her way into oblivion to conform to a size 2. She may always wear dresses of a certain style, but she always looks amazing, and picks fun colors.
The other Cate also looked stunning.
Reese is looking slimmer than ever (and a bit more prominently chinned than usual). Her red carpet looks are always impeccable. Although I don't love this dress as much as I loved her ensemble last year (which is fitting, as last year, she was truly the belle of the ceremony with her "Best Actress" win), it is quite lovely and elegant.
Rachel chose an amazing color this year. The detail and line of this dress are beautiful.
As for the awards themselves, it was great to see "The Departed" and Martin Scorsese win. The movie was an entertaining roller-coaster ride, and I love seeing entertainment-for-entertainment's-sake be rewarded. It wasn't a self-important film with a deep message to bestow upon the masses. It was just good. And as a movie fan, that's what I'm looking for.
Valentine's Day was last week, or as its becoming known in some circles, Singles' Awareness Day. Many singles have attempted to take the mid-February focus off of happy couples, and are using February 14 to gather together and celebrate - or mourn - their single status. Singles are sending themselves flowers and chocolates and looking for fun alternatives to Valentine's Day than romantic dates.
I went out to eat with my single friends on Valentine's Day this year to a popular chain restaurant (as per my dear friend Sue's request; she loves chains), and we did not spend any time bemoaning our lack of boyfriends. Being a part of a couple is absolutely wonderful, but being single certainly does not mean that one's life is empty. I've never understood people who dread Valentine's Day as some sort of Day of Doom. If nothing else, we all need SOMETHING to celebrate in the middle of February, and expressions of love and appreciation from close friends can mean as much as a romantic gesture from a boyfriend or girlfriend. It is so great when people can be fulfilled and happy without having to be desperate for a relationship.
Of course, everyone can use a little romance in their lives. Some of my favorite romantic movies to watch around Valentine's Day - or any time of the year are:
The Grammys received their highest ratings since 2004 this year, which is quite encouraging to see since it was an enjoyable show. It was also encouraging to see the Dixie Chicks emerge as the big winners of the evening. Not only do I enjoy their music, but without getting too political, I felt that they received a bit too much flack for simply expressing an opinion a few years back.
The highlight of the show for me was Justin Timberlake. Oh, how I love JT. I admit to having a sort of ironic appreciation for N Sync back in the day, but now there is no irony or shame attached to loving Justin. He has, indeed, brought sexy back.
Some might argue that The Sopranos is the best television series ever. Certainly, it excelled in making the "lower medium" of TV palatable to snobs who only watch movies. (Obviously, I am not one of these people, as I will sit around and watch The View.) 
Fans of American Idol may be a bit perplexed to note that the skinny kid with the terrible voice and uber-feminine haircut continues to be a presence on the show from week to week. How is Sanjaya Malakar surviving each elimination? Sanjaya is not particularly talented. Sanjaya is not particularly attractive (except, perhaps, to that one girl in the audience who always seems to be in tears when he is performing). Simon Cowell has said that if Sanjaya wins, he will leave American Idol. What force of nature is keeping Sanjaya in our lives?!
Why does the world care so much about Heather Mills?
On Tuesday, March 13, Tori Spelling gave birth to a son named Liam Aaron McDermott. Word is that her estranged mother, Candy Spelling, was at the hospital while Tori was giving birth. Tori and Candy have been at odds since the death of Aaron Spelling. When Aaron died, Tori was set to inherit a chunk of his $500 million dollar estate, but Candy, the executor of Aaron's will, only gave her a small portion of the money. 
