This Week's Entertainment Segment for Hoosier News Source

I thought that since my HNS Entertainment Updates inspired me to keep this blog going, it'd be a good idea to post them here.  Here is a link to the video (sorry I can't embed it).  Skip to about 6:15 to see me: http://www.iustv.com/EaJ/hoosier-news-source-season-3-episode-1/

And in keeping with the blog format, I've also included the script I wrote for the show, in case there are problems with the video or just on the off chance that some people enjoy reading!  Think of this as the week's highlights in entertainment news (or at least the stories that I found to be the most amusing).

Both so utterly relevant

Hey IU, hope you’re enjoying your classes this semester.  I’m not, but you know what I am enjoying?  Pointless celebrity feuds.  Prime example, Kim Kardashian recently stated that the MTV show "Teen Mom" sets a bad example for kids today and the stars of the show should not be idealized.  Perhaps the most notorious "Teen Mom" star, Amber Portwood, fired back stating, “she made a sex tape when she was younger, and she wants to bash the girls on 'Teen Mom?'”  It’s a Z-list Celebrity Deathmatch for the ages.  And the winner is...neither.  Because that would require actually labeling one of them a winner, and I’m not comfortable doing that.

Donny Osmond did it better.  The bowl-cut, I mean.

Justin Bieber’s personal hairstylist recently told Life & Style magazine that she charges about $750 for the famed bowl-cut.  And if you want that awesome style but you’re like, “baby, baby, baby, oh...my wallet!”  You can get the same tacky look for $14 at Supercuts.

Still better than Twilight

Jersey Shore star Snookie is no doubt partying hard this week because her book A Shore Thing just earned a spot on the New York Times Best Sellers List.  Here’s an excerpt from that outstanding piece of literature: “I love food.  I love drinking, boys, dancing until my feet swell.  And I love my body, especially the badonk.”  Poetry.

You know her 'Annie' wig is going to be fierce

And lastly, rumor has it that Will Smith is looking to remake the musical Annie staring his daughter, Willow Smith who is widely known and loved for whipping her hair back and forth. And while she is possibly the cutest and fiercest 10-year-old girl in the world, this movie is still not even remotely necessary.  And do you really think the child of Will Smith can convince you that it’s a hard-knock life?  Didn’t think so.

The Dark Night Rises Casting

On Wednesday, Warner Bros. Pictures announced the partial (but by no means complete) cast of Christopher Nolan's next installment in the Batman series, The Dark Knight Rises.  Anne Hathaway has been cast as Selina Kyle, more popularly known as Catwoman, and Tom Hardy will play the muscular villain Bane.

It should come as no shock to you that this casting announcement has created some serious, and not necessarily positive, buzz amongst Batman fans--most of it being that these are poor character choices ("I wanted Poison Ivy, the Riddler, etc."), or that Anne Hathaway is the wrong actress to play such a pivotal character as Catwoman.  Having had a few days to consider it, I'd like to address these concerns.

First of all, the characters:

We're all familiar with Catwoman.  Her most famous TV/film incarnations include Eartha Kitt opposite Adam West in the 1960s Batman TV show, Michelle Pfeiffer  in Tim Burton's 1992 film, Batman Begins, and Halle Berry in the failed 2004 spinoff movie Catwoman.  All of these actresses portrayed Selina Kyle/Catwoman in very different ways: Kitt--campy, Pfeiffer--sensual and empowering, Berry--a hot mess. 

So, it's fair to say that there is no one right way to interpret this character, and we shouldn't just assume that this new incarnation of Kyle will be a ripoff of any of the formerly mentioned portrayals.  Furthermore, the announcement did not mention Catwoman at all, implying that Hathaway will likely be playing Selina Kyle before she becomes the infamous anti-hero.  This makes sense considering Nolan's comparatively realistic approach to the Batman canon.

As for Bane, he's a bit less familiar to casual fans of the Batman series.  The average movie-goer probably knows him best as Poison Ivy's muscle-man sidekick in the unintentionally hilarious 1997 film, Batman and Robin.

Seriously?

But to serious comic book fans, he is much more than just the brawns--he also has brains.  In the comics, he is considered one of Batman's most formidable opponents and is most famous for discovering Batman's secret identity and breaking his back, thus rendering the caped-crusader a paraplegic.  Bane should be an interesting departure from Nolan's previous Batman villains in that he is simply a much stronger aggressor.  In Batman Begins, Bruce was tested psychologically.  In The Dark Knight, he was tested emotionally, and it is fair to assume that in The Dark Knight Rises, he will be tested physically.

As for the actors themselves, I think it's too early to judge (although that's not stopping most fans).  It seems clichéd at this point, but pretty much everyone doubted Heath Ledger would be able to pull off the Joker, and he ended up winning an Oscar for that portrayal.  So, we shouldn't be so quick to doubt Anne Hathaway.  She is certainly not the obvious choice, i.e.: not a "sex-kitten" (get it?), but who wants another Halle Berry-type Catwoman?  Or to put it more bluntly, who wants The Dark Night Rises starring Megan Fox?  Most importantly, we cannot yet judge if Hathaway is a good fit for the character because we don't know what the character is going to be like.  Nolan's Batman series makes a habit out of reinterpreting characters, meaning that we should throw any preconceived notions we have of Catwoman out the door.

Tom Hardy, on the other hand, has not faced quite the same level of disapproval from fans. This is probably due to a number of things.  First, Nolan announced back in November that he would have a role (although he did not specify which role) in the upcoming Batman film, so fans have had time to process his involvement.  Second, he's still riding high off of the popularity of his most recent film Inception, also directed by Nolan.  So, many fans have come to like him and know that he and Nolan work well together.  Third, physically speaking, he is perfect for the role.  

Hardy (right) has two tickets to the gun show.

Fourth and finally, Nolan generally does a lot better with male characters than female, so there's less to worry about with Bane.  I'm not saying Nolan is sexist, just that he has a habit of writing very stereotypical women and/or killing them off as a plot device.  If there's anything about this film that I'm concerned with thus far, it's that Catwoman may be a weak character--not because of Hathaway's acting, but because of Nolan's near ineptitude at creating three-dimensional female characters.

That being said, I'm excited about the cast and characters.  There's great potential within everyone involved to create a movie that can actually live up to The Dark Night.  And this is just the beginning.  We still know nothing about the plot, the other characters involved (will Aaron Eckhart be reprising his role as Two-Face?) or even if this is the final film in the series.  When you put it in that perspective, we know so little about this film.  Critiquing and scrutinizing these early casting decisions is like judging a painting based on the canvas alone.  Anyway, we're all going to go crazy for this movie once the viral marketing campaign starts, so who cares?  Let's save the judgment at least until we get a trailer.  Life is too short to complain about Catwoman.

Globes Part 10

Sandra Bullock apparently told Ricky Gervais that "poor people are gross and they smell bad" backstage.  She introduces the nominees for Best Actor Drama without any fanfare.  They must be cutting it close tonight.  And the winner is Colin Firth.  FINALLY!  He alludes to having a mid-life crisis about his acting career and says this award is all that stands between him and a Harley Davidson.  Also, he mentions something about a "triangle of man-love" with co-star, Geoffery Rush and writer, David Seidler.  I think I missed something, because I don't understand that comment, but it doesn't matter.  Firth is truly one of the most talented actors in Hollywood.  So good to see him being recognized.

Presenting the final award of the evening, Best Picture Drama, is Michael Douglas.  He gets a standing ovation.  I think the audience is more excited about his good health than he is tonight.  "There must be a better way to get a standing ovation."  And the winner is The Social Network.  Jesse Eisenberg and Andrew Garfield are still sitting in the audience, so the producer summons them up while thanking them.  Andrew looks downright giddy.  "Thank you for an amazing year in movies!" he concludes.  I think that sums it up pretty well.

Ricky takes the remaining few seconds to thank the HFPA, the audience, viewers at home, and "thanks to God for making me an atheist."  Oh my.  Well I think that's a good note to end on, don't you?  Thanks for reading folks, I had a lot of fun.  Let's do this again soon (maybe a live-blog of the Oscars?).  Goodnight, hope you enjoyed the ride!

Globes Part 9

Alicia Keys introduces Black Swan.  If you haven't seen it yet, you really should.  It's completely insane in the best possible way.

Halle Berry announces Best Actor in a Drama and the Globe goes to Paul Giamatti.  Okay, so I got one wrong (so far).  The audio cuts off for about 5-10 seconds.  Technical glitch, or very lengthy string of curse words from Mr. Giamatti?  Hard to tell.  He says that he ate 5 boxes of the free Godiva chocolates.  "And Halle Berry" he says, obviously smitten.  Yeah, he might be a little tipsy tonight.  He calls his costars a "tri-fecta of hotties."  He also "salutes the great nation of Canada."  I have no idea what his film is about so the relevance of his speech is lost on me, but regardless, I am throughly amused.

Alright, only half-an-hour left, let's do this thing!

It's my future husband Joseph Gordon Levitt to introduce Best Drama nominee, Inception.  He praises the film for challenging the audience while still making "a little bit of money."

Now Jeff Bridges joins the stage to present the category of Best Actress in a Drama.  The Globe goes to Natalie Portman, who looks pleased, but not particularly surprised.  I guess I wouldn't be surprised if I was her either.  She hopes her grandmother watching at home is enjoying this and "having a drink."  She jokes that her now-fiancée had a line in the movie about not wanting to sleep with her character.  "He's a good actor, because he was lying!"  She thanks the rest of her cast including "Mila-sweet-lips-Kunis."  I'd like to know the story behind that nickname!

Tim Allen and Tom Hanks introduce the award for Best Comedy or Musical.  They lament the days when Ricky Gervais was "slightly chubby and nice."  Hanks give a quick shout-out to table 114 (and there's a small cheer from that area in the audience)!  The award goes to The Kids are Alright.  Looks like I'm back on track.  The only members of the cast that go up to the stage are the adult characters from the film.  Where are "the kids?"  They are the title characters after all.

Anyway, it's almost over.  Stick around, just two more awards left!

Globes Part 8

Matt Damon is on stage to present the Cecil B. DeMille Award to Robert De Niro.  He kids that he hasn't gotten to see many movies in his life because he spends so much time starring in them, and that he hadn't even heard of De Niro until recently.  He says he was surprised to find out that many people consider De Niro to be the greatest actor in the history of film.  Oh Damon.  He then proceeds to impersonate a few of his more famous roles.  Cue the emotional montage of Di Niro through the years!  Don't you think it's a little funny that a man being honored with such a prestigious award for his years of achievement in film is currently promoting Little Fockers?

Standing ovation, of course.  De Niro jokes that he'll be giving Damon the DeMille award someday (if he's still alive).  He also makes a joke about Little Fockers.  At least he's self aware.  And a joke about Megan Fox and the full-body scans at the airport.  I think you can connect the dots.  Oh, he just cursed!  That's the third censor of the night.  He gets to speak significantly longer than most of the winners, but compared to DeMille winners in past years, he keeps it surprisingly brief.

By my count, we should only have 7 more categories left.  I think they're making good time, but I'm sure they'll go at least a few minutes past 11pm at this rate.  Remember, the acceptance speeches get longer as the show goes on.

Megan Fox (wearing a dress with a very high slit) is introducing The Tourist.  Other than the bottom of the dress, she looks really good tonight.

Annette Bening presents Best Director, and the winner is David Fincher.  I'm on a roll tonight (at least for the categories that I've made predictions about).  He's not reading off of a note card, but rather several sheets of paper.  Oh boy, this could be long.  He thanks the entire cast, even the "invisible twin."  Oh, well it wasn't as long as I thought it would be.

January Jones is showing a lot of cleavage.  I mean, DANG.  She and Jimmy Fallon are presenting the award for Best Comedy.  It goes to Glee.  I was hoping for Modern Family, but come on, we all saw this coming.  Ryan Murphy and the ENTIRE CAST is accepting.  Did you know Ryan Murphy went to IU?  He was in the Singing Hoosiers too.  The cast thanks public school teachers for all the work they do and children they inspire.  I'll have to tell my parents that they got a shout-out from the cast and crew of Glee.  They'll be pleased.

Globes Part 7

Hey, it's Jane Fonda!  The crowd gives her a standing ovation.  She's here to support her friend Cher, who's currently in Vegas doing a live show.  My dad saw that a few months ago when he was in Vegas.  It was amazing apparently.  Fonda introduces Best Comedy/Musical nominee Burlesque.

Here's Matt Bomer from White Collar (looking quite dapper in that suit, may I say) and Kaley Cuoco from The Big Bang Theory on stage to announce Best Actor in a Comedy.  Kaley is thrilled to announce that her costar, Jim Parsons, has won.  When he gets up to the stage, she gives him a big hug.  So. Darn. Cute.  Parsons wishes his cousin a happy birthday and apologizes for not being at his party. I think you have a good excuse, Jim.

Jeremy Irons is announcing Best Supporting Actress in a Drama.  I could listen to him speak all day.  The winner is Melissa Leo for The Fighter.  I saw this movie, and I thought she was good, but her character was a really stereotypical caricature.  I would have given it to Amy Adams instead, who did a lot with what would otherwise have been a very typical "girlfriend" character.  As she goes to the stage, Irons gives her a peck on the cheek.  "All that, and I got kissed by Jeremy Irons!"  She is loving being on that stage.  She also says that she thinks Amy should have won the award too, so I guess I'm not alone.

Globes Part 6

Ricky Gervais quips that no one really cares about Foreign Language Films, so it's a good thing that the presenters for this category are Robert Pattinson and Olivia Wilde.  Just as I thought, her dress looks amazing under the stage lights.  The winner is In a Better World, a film from Denmark.  The woman accepting the award pauses a lot, and I think she might have trouble speaking English...or maybe it's just nerves.

Helen Miren is on stage introducing Best Drama nominee, The Kings Speech.  She can do no wrong.

Now, it's Best Actress in a TV comedy.  I think when they said Lea Michele's name while announcing nominees, someone booed.  Not classy, dude.  But she didn't win!  She'll be pissed if she's the only Glee star not to win.  I've heard from many people that she's a well-known diva.  I believe it.  Anyway, the winner is Laura Linney for The Big C.  She couldn't be there to accept the award, so the announcers accept it for her.  I always think that's strange.  If you knew you were nominated, but couldn't be there, wouldn't you send someone you liked or worked with to accept it for you instead of letting some random presenters that you don't even know do it?  I guess that's just not how it works.

Globes Part 5

We have Zac Efron introducing the Best Drama nominated movie The Kids are Alright.  That's a strange presenter choice.  Moving on!

Ricky Gervais announces Tina Fay and Steve Carell.  He then runs up to hug Steve, who pushes him away and laughs in an evil way.  Apparently Leonardo DiCaprio is in both of their dreams.  Mine too Tina and Steve, mine too.  It's the award for Best Screenplay (they're presenting it because they're both writers, get it?) and the winner is Aaron Sorkin for The Social Network.  He calls David Fincher an "honest-to-God national treasure," gives a shout-out to Mark Zuckerberg and tells his daughter at home that seeing the nominees for Best Actress, it's clear that smart girls have more fun, and she's one of them.  Adorable.

Two very attractive men are presenting the next award and I'm okay with that.  Jane Lynch wins Best Supporting Actress in a TV Comedy.  Yep, Glee is going to sweep it tonight.  She says that she is "nothing if not falsely-humble."  Indeed.  Jane Lynch could probably make a joke about cancer and the audience would laugh.  Just saying.

Globes Part 4

It's Justin Bieber and the girl from True Grit presenting the award for Best Animated Film.  Get it?  Because they're probably the youngest people in the room.  The little scene they play for Toy Story 3 made me tear up a little.  I think we all know who the winner is.  Just as predicted, it goes to TS3.  The director asks if Bieber was even born when the first Toy Story movie was made.  Yes, he was.  Barely.

Ricky Gervais jokes that Robert Downey Jr's past film titles make them sound like porn movies.  Downey takes it in stride.  He quips that an actress can't do her best work until she's slept with him and asks why the following nominees (Annette, Angelina, Julianne, Anne, and Emma) haven't slept with him?  It sounds creepy when I write it like that, but trust me, he's totally charming.  The award goes to Annette Bening.  I guess that she and Julianne didn't split the vote after all.  She thanks her "partner," Julianne first and calls her a class act.  Aw.  Looks like the crowd adores her.  And her speech was pretty long, but didn't get cut off, so I think they're easing up on the "wrap-it-up" music.

Once again, not not enough material, so I'll wait for the next break.

And here's Stallone to introduce The Fighter, which is up for Best Drama tonight.  Nothing too exciting here.

Oh look, it's Tilda Swinton (love her!) presenting the award for Best Actor in a Made-for-TV Movie/Mini-Series.  And the winner is Al Pacino for You Don't Know Jack.  Unlike other speeches, the tone of his seems quite serious.  No jokes, and every cutaway shows that the audience is paying complete attention to him.  I guess when you're Al Pacino, you don't have to do anything special or play any gimmicks to gain respect and attention.

Best Actress in a TV Movie or Mini-Series is Claire Danes for Temple Grandin.  Apparently the last time she won a Globe was for My So Called Life.  Woah.  She's wearing a beautiful bright pink, backless dress.  Not many people can pull off that color, but she does.  And she's so eager to accept the award, very cute. She's reading off of a note card so she doesn't forget anyone.  I think more winners should do that.  She thanks the real Temple for inspiring the movie and her work to promote Autism-acceptance.  An uplifting speech.  I'd say it's a good time for a break now!

Globes Part 3

Intro for Alice in Wonderland.  Yawn.  Speech about the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.  Double Yawn.  The President of the HFPA is here.  Triple Yawn?  I think that's going too far.

Now the award for Best Actor in a TV Drama.  Please be Michael C. Hall, I love him!  And it's Steve Buscemi.  Well, who doesn't love Steve Buscemi?  So I can understand that decision.  I just want Michael C. Hall to win something.  Always a bridesmaid, never a bride.  Steve says he's going to try to keep it short so he can evade the music.  Good luck, dude.

And now we have the award for Best TV Drama, and the winner is Boardwalk Empire.  Not surprising, HBO shows tend to do very well at the Globes.

Well, I have been posting at every break so far, but since this one is short, I think I'll wait to post until the next break.

Here's Andrew Garfield to introduce The Social Network.  He stumbles a few times trying to read the teleprompter, and he looks adorable doing it.

"He's Alec from the Rock, and she's Jenny from the Block," Ricky says as he announces Alec Baldwin and Jennifer Lopez.  Very cute.  They're presenting Best Original Song from a Motion Picture.  I think all of the nominees are musicals or music-oriented movies (except for Narnia).  The winner is "You Haven't Seen the Last from Me," the Cher song from Burlesque.  I was hoping for the song from Tangled to win, but I really can't argue about a Cher song getting this award.

Now it's the award for Best Original Score, and the winner is The Social Network and Trent Reznor from Nine Inch Nails.  That was a pretty intriguing score I must admit, but I was hoping Hans Zimmer would win for Inception because that score was perfection in my humble opinion.  Oh well.