Chatting It up With the Jonas Brothers
Girl World Daily

You might not know that Camp Rock 2 co-star Demi Lovato and other cast members are joining the Jonas Brothers for a concert tour, which starts in the United States before kicking off the world tour in Mexico in October. The Jo Bros were anxious to chat with us about their new movie and tour, and we were all ears

 

Patrick Fabian & Ashley Bell

The Last Exorcism
Patrick Fabian & Ashley Bell in The Last Exorcism

This faux documentary offers up a squirmy tale of demonic possession. Director Daniel Stamm's film follows Cotton Marcus (Patrick Fabian), a charming huckster preacher who intends to show the film crew how the fake-exorcism business works by taking the case of a distraught, hyper-religious Louisiana farmer (Louis Herthum) who believes the devil has taken hold of his teenage daughter

 

Callan McAuliffe & Madeline Carroll

Flipped
Madeline Carroll & Callan McAuliffe in Flipped

Director Rob Reiner's film version of the book 'Flipped' lands somewhere between synthetic nostalgia and real life. We follow the complicated relationship of two kids, Juli (Madeline Carroll) and Bryce (Callan McAuliffe), between the second and eighth grade, as they careen in and out of something like love

 

Lebanon

Lebanon
Yoav Donat & Itay Tiran in the movie Lebanon

The combat and aftermath we witness in the superb new film 'Lebanon,' from writer-director Samuel Maoz, is experienced almost wholly from the perspective of the soldiers inside the tank. Our primary reference point, the gunner played by Yoav Donat, spends much of his time peering at the chaos outside through a periscopic gun sight

 

Mesrine: Killer Instinct

Mesrine: Killer Instinct
Vincent Cassel & Gerard Depardieu in Mesrine: Killer Instinct

The French gangster Jacques Mesrine (1936-1979), whose autobiography 'Death Instinct' forms the basis of the enjoyably trashy two-part saga now arriving in U.S. theaters, had the media savvy of John Dillinger, the romantic aura of Clyde Barrow -- Warren Beatty's version, that is -- and a self-mythologizing streak destined for the movies

 

Why News Is Aimed At Your Emotions
Zach Miners

It can be hard to resist sensational news, from the 'if it bleeds, it leads' priorities of local newscasts to the harangues of cable TV pundits. Veteran newsman and journalist Jack Fuller wants to know why. Fuller examines the allure of emotionally charged news and how that affects the kind of information Americans are getting today

Media Overreaches As 'Lost' Finishes Run
Brian Lowry

As fate would have it, 'Lost' is one of three long-running hits that say goodbye over the next few days, the others being '24' and 'Law and Order.' And while each can rightfully be lionized in various ways it detracts from them not at all to say that their accomplishments are almost without exception at least as notable for their impact on the commerce of TV as its art

 

Kid-Friendly Musicals

Taking the Kids to a Broadway Musical
Eileen Ogintz

I can see why the first lady Michelle Obama brought her girls and her mom to see a Broadway Musical. It's terrific when you can be entertained and teach the kids an important lesson about history at the same time. The performances are first rate as are the sets, costumes and, of course, the music

 

ModNation Racers

ModNation Racers
Kevin John, Crispy Gamer

We're on the final lap of arcade racers. 'ModNation Racers' has an aesthetic immediately familiar to me, as it seems heavily based off the 'Mario Kart' series: Cute little avatars shooting powerups at each other on cartoony tracks. It's obvious where the design influence came from. What 'ModNation' does differently, though, is build out a robust online mode

 

Minecraft

Minecraft
Chase Slaton, Crispy Gamer

'Minecraft' is the greatest little online game you've never played. Well, unless your one of growing community of gamers (207,294 at last count) that have signed up and begun playing. In which case I won't be telling you anything new, but for everyone else here's a preview.

Television - Can TV News Be Saved?
Brian Lowry

A compelling case exists that for many newspapers to survive, they'll require nonprofit status -- and possibly public funding. A related question is where TV and radio journalism might fit into that equation.

Television - Chattin' It up With iCarly's Miranda Cosgrove
Girl World Daily

Miranda Cosgrove isn't getting much of a vacation this year, but she's not complaining. The 16-year-old actress is busy filming a slew of new 'iCarly' episodes, but that hasn't stopped her from partaking in some of her favorite pastimes

At Last, A Woman Prevails on Oscar Night
Liz Smith

How wonderful that Miss Bigelow made history as the first female ever to take Best Director. That was some long wait in the outer office -- 'uh, Oscar will be right with you, Miss Whoever You Are Who Thinks You Can Direct!' Up in heaven's happy portals the pioneer likes of Dorothy Arzner and Ida Lupino are cheering.

 

Matt Damon

Green Zone
Matt Damon & Greg Kinnear in Green Zone

Director Paul Greengrass delivers a skillfully made package, but this feels like a too-soon proposition. Green Zone is partly real and partly outlandish in its wishful thinking. An Army officer hunting for WMDs in 2003, the fictional Miller (Matt Damon) knocks heads with everyone in Baghdad.

 

Mia Wasikowska

Alice in Wonderland
Mia Wasikowska & Johnny Depp in Alice in Wonderland

Director Tim Burton's new extravaganza won't be for everyone. It's a little rough for preteens, and it doesn't throw many laughs the audience's way, but along with 'Sweeney Todd,' this is Burton's most interesting project in a decade. Wonderfully well-chosen actress Mia Wasikowska plays Alice, and Johnny Depp is the Mad Hatter.

Pink Flies High at the Grammys
Liz Smith

In some ways, I thought the Grammys belonged to Pink. Ten years after her initial surge to fame with 'Get This Party Started,' the soulful-voiced blonde, had one of those classic gasp-inducing performances -- I've rarely seen or heard anything as astonishing as Pink's rendition of 'Glitter.'

 

Benicio Del Toro & Anthony Hopkins

The Wolfman
Benicio Del Toro & Anthony Hopkins in The Wolfman

Someone or something is on the loose in late-1800s England, slaughtering Gypsies and good, upright English folk. When a famous Shakespearean actor (Benicio Del Toro) is attacked and begins showing signs of trouble, it's his father (Anthony Hopkins) who takes care of him, though he seems strangely interested in letting 'the beast' run free.

 

 

J.D. Salinger: Artist Who Never Wanted to Be an 'Idol'
Mitch Albom

When someone told me J.D. Salinger had died, I jokingly asked, 'How do they know?' It was dark humor and a tad disrespectful. But I was trying to be complimentary. Salinger, who was even more passionate about his privacy than his writing, had managed, at age 91, to die a legend in both areas.

Ultimate HDTV HD Television Buying Guide
David LaGesse

We studied the hundreds of HDTV flat-panel television sets that plastered walls at the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and have distilled a quick guide to today's key options

Television - TV Vets Assess Sitcoms
Brian Lowry

David Lee -- part of the creative trio that launched 'Wings' and 'Frasier' -- left television in 2004 finding a nifty second act in his first love, the theater. Lee agreed to discuss TV's current comedy landscape, which has seemingly taken several welcome turns.

 

Mel Gibson

Edge of Darkness
Mel Gibson & Ray Winstone in Edge of Darkness

Mel Gibson plays a detective bent on revenge after his nuclear-researcher daughter is murdered. This entertaining thriller, a compressed two-hour version of a six-hour 1985 British TV miniseries, also features Ray Winstone as an assassin/fixer/philosopher who quietly becomes the most intriguing character.

 

Duhamel & Bell

When in Rome
Kristen Bell & Josh Duhamel in When in Rome

In Rome for her sister's wedding, a tightly wound woman (Kristen Bell) drunkenly scoops out of a magic fountain a handful of coins tossed in by lovelorn tourists who become her magic stalkers, smitten without knowing why. These suitors keep turning up back home and throwing plot obstacles in the way of our heroine after she meets a charming sports columnist (Josh Duhamel).

 

Will Conan O'Brien Jump to Fox
Brian Lowry

Now, with his 'The Tonight Show' tenure complete, Conan O'Brien could very well be heading back to the latenight Fox slot he left behind two decades ago -- but this time as host. It's far from a slam-dunk solution for O'Brien, however.

 

Brendan Fraser & Harrison Ford

Extraordinary Measures
Brendan Fraser & Harrison Ford in Extraordinary Measures

This fact-based drama concerns a Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. marketing exec, John Crowley (Brendan Fraser), whose two kids contracted a rare form of muscular dystrophy. Racing against time to finance the development of a cure, Crowley's plight became a story of dedication, inspiration and not taking "no" for an answer. Harrison Ford plays the scowling, antisocial researcher who may hold the key to the kids' survival.

 

Horacio Camandule

Gigante
Horacio Camandule & Leonor Svarcas in Gigante

I don't know if Adrian Biniez ever wrote a song about a stalker when he was with the Argentinean band Reverb, but that's how Biniez's first feature-length film project, Gigante, turned out: like a catchy three-minute pop ballad, expanded artfully into an 84-minute ode to the fine line separating the shy-but-girlfriend-worthy loner from the genuine sociopath.

 

Dwayne Johnson

The Tooth Fairy
Dwayne Johnson & Ashley Judd in The Tooth Fairy

Dwayne Johnson stars as a minor-league hockey player known as The Tooth Fairy for his ability to knock his opponents' teeth all over the rink. The real tooth fairies do not approve of him, so he's lifted off to Fairyland, where Julie Andrews oversees his stint as a real tooth fairy whose wings sprout at inconvenient times.

 

 

'Tony Hawk: Ride' - Wii

'Tony Hawk: Ride'
Russ Fischer, Crispy Gamer

I've fallen off 'Tony Hawk: Ride' 100 times already. This version of the never-ending skateboarding franchise comes packed with a life-size fake skateboard to use as a controller, but it might as well be a bucking bronco.

 

'James Cameron's Avatar: The Game'

'Avatar: The Game'
Evan Narcisse, Crispy Gamer

Unlike many tie-in games, 'James Cameron's Avatar: The Game' doesn't transpose the movie's plot into game form. What it does do is offer up the same core themes with different characters

More Videogaming & Video Game Reviews ...

 

Invictus

Invictus
Morgan Freeman & Matt Damon in Invictus

This stately, impressive film from director Clint Eastwood is anchored by its actors. Morgan Freeman plays South African president and revolutionary game-changer Nelson Mandela, and Matt Damon plays rugby captain Francois Pienaar. In the South African rugby team's long-shot chances for a victory in the 1995 World Cup Final, Mandela sees a grand opportunity.

 

Princess & the Frog

The Princess and the Frog
Anika Noni Rose & Bruno Campos in The Princess and the Frog

How can a good-looking animated feature with a Randy Newman song as kicky as 'When We're Human' end up being just sort of ... all right? Featuring Disney's first African-American princess, this movie lacks for nothing in setting and atmosphere but comes up short where it counts: the characters.

 

Zac Efron & Claire Danes

Me and Orson Welles
Zac Efron & Claire Danes in Me and Orson Welles

A real charmer, 'Me and Orson Welles' is the work of a director who takes nostalgia, romantic possibility and the theater seriously, without being a pill about it. Richard Linklater's film version of a Robert Kaplow novel tells a fairy tale based in fact. Strolling the Manhattan theater district one day in 1937, the story's fictional protagonist stumbles into Orson Welles and is hired to appear in Welles' modern-dress revival of 'Julius Caesar.'

 

George Clooney

Up in the Air
George Clooney & Vera Farmiga in Up in the Air

For a movie set in a sour economy, 'Up in the Air' is very crafty about lobbing to the sweet spots of all concerned. It is smooth as glass, destined for a big audience and many awards. George Clooney stars as a well-tailored hatchet man for an Omaha firm.

 

De Niro & Barrymore

Everybody's Fine
Robert De Niro & Drew Barrymore in Everybody's Fine

It's a relief to see Robert De Niro giving an honest, effective starring performance in a project that does not stink. How long has it been? This Americanized remake of Giuseppe Tornatore's 1990 'Stanno Tutti Bene' is gracefully acted by a good cast.

 

Maguire & Gyllenhaal

Brothers
Tobey Maguire & Jake Gyllenhaal in Brothers

This gripping film is an honorable addition to the tradition of homefront war stories. The stars playing the brothers of the film's title, Tobey Maguire and Jake Gyllenhaal, have been effective in much of their respective screen work, but their best stuff here is the their best stuff to date.

 

Jennifer Lyons

Transylmania
Jennifer Lyons & Oren Skoog in Transylmania

Ten college 'types' set off for a semester of study at Romania's Razvan University, which is actually a castle where students occasionally disappear. Might the vampires who once ruled the roost be to blame?

 

Catalina Saavedra

The Maid
Catalina Saavedra & Mariana Loyola in The Maid

A spiky social comedy from Chile, Sebastian Silva's 'The Maid' features a marvelous, moon-eyed actress, Catalina Saavedra, as a sphinx-like servant who has lived, worked and, slowly, calcified for a bourgeois Santiago family for 23 of her 41 years.

 

 

The Movie Star Deluxe - Elizabeth Taylor
Liz Smith

YOU SEE, she didn't care about being a star. She cared about living a certain way. It was what she was used to. And she lived that grand life with Burton and thought they'd have it forever. That's what was most important to her: to have a great companion in her great life ... it was all about being with him. That's all that really mattered.

Oscarcast Challenged By More Nominations
Brian Lowry

Widening the Academy Awards field to 10 contenders for 2009 was hailed and criticized on various fronts, with some seeing the expanded roster as a crass, grade-inflating attempt to provide more populist appeal -- thus boosting the audience's rooting interest and, presumably, the kudocast's ratings.

 

Kristen Stewart & Robert Pattinson

The Twilight Saga: New Moon
Kristen Stewart & Robert Pattinson in The Twilight Saga: New Moon

This much-anticipated sequel is actually pretty good -- a tick better than the first 'Twilight,' which wasn't bad, either. The second film in the series is bigger, better in the effects and more vibrant visually.

 

Nicolas Cage & Eva Mendes

Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
Nicolas Cage & Eva Mendes in Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans

Director Werner Herzog's delirious new movie is a true feat of daring and one of the craziest films of the year. The drug-abusing cop has been relocated from New York to New Orleans, and in place of Keitel's fits of anguish, Herzog has found his ideal interpreter, a performer whose truth lies deep in the artifice of performance: Nicolas Cage, at his finest

 

Ben Foster & Woody Harrelson

The Messenger
Ben Foster & Woody Harrelson in The Messenger

A decorated Army soldier (Ben Foster) with post-traumatic stress disorder is assigned to the Casualty Notification program, meaning that he and a fellow officer (Woody Harrelson) must deliver news of a fallen soldier's death to family members. This pungent little chamber piece offers a full yet delicate range of emotions, and it humanizes its characters so that polemics are left in the background.

 

Sandra Bullock & Tim McGraw

The Blind Side
Sandra Bullock & Tim McGraw in The Blind Side

Based on a book by Michael Lewis, this film fumbles a true story of an African-American product of the Memphis projects who ended up at a Christian school and in the care of a wealthy white family, then went on to NFL glory. The star is Sandra Bullock, whose character is conceived as a steel magnolia with a will of iron.

 

Dwayne Johnson & Justin Long

Planet 51
Dwayne Johnson & Justin Long in Planet 51

The big joke here is that an alien has 'invaded' a suburban town. The alien is us, a NASA astronaut (voiced by Dwayne Johnson) who touches down and bounces out with his American flag, only to realize he's interrupting an alien barbecue. This is a good-looking movie; it's just low on laughs.

 

Philip Seymour Hoffman

Pirate Radio
Philip Seymour Hoffman & Bill Nighy in Pirate Radio

With nearly 60 classic cuts, this may be the coolest music video masquerading as a movie ever. It's hard not to feel the love as Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Rhys Ifans and others in the groovy ensemble spin this mostly tall tale of the English Parliament's fight to crush rock radio and the rogue broadcasters who went to sea to keep it afloat

 

John Cusack

2012
John Cusack & Chiwetel Ejiofor in 2012

'2012' samples everything from 'Earthquake' to 'The Perfect Storm' to 'The Towering Inferno' to the Bible. John Cusack, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Amanda Peet, Oliver Platt, Thandie Newton, Danny Glover and Woody Harrelson are among the actors pushing along whatever 'story' you can find here.

 

Jocelin Donahue

The House of the Devil
Jocelin Donahue & Greta Gerwig in The House of the Devil

This is a fine little old-school thriller set in the 1980s. A cash-strapped college student (Jocelin Donahue) accepts a babysitting job at a scary old Victorian home, but once she arrives, she discovers there's no baby to sit; her charge is the unseen mother of a lanky pair of creeps (Tom Noonan, Mary Woronov).

 

Tony Jaa

Ong Bak 2
Tony Jaa & Primrata Dej-Udom in Ong Bak 2

Tony Jaa, Thailand's biggest action hero, returns to inflict more damage in 'Ong Bak 2: The Beginning. ' Given its title, you might expect that this film has some connection to the original 'Ong Bak' of a few years back, but you would be wrong.

 

Gabourey Sidibe

Precious
Gabourey Sidibe in Precious

Precious is an exceptional film about nearly unendurable circumstances, endured. The story is about a teen living in 1980s Harlem, raped by her barely glimpsed father, abused by her unfathomably cruel mother. Precious is illiterate but bright, and she switches to an alternative school where she comes under the life-saving tutelage of Ms. Rain. There'll be an Oscar nomination or two in this film's near future

 

Jim Carrey & Gary Oldman

Disney's A Christmas Carol
Jim Carrey & Gary Oldman in Disney's A Christmas Carol

Disney's A Christmas Carol (Charles Dickens -- demoted!), is an extravaganza of colliding intentions. But just when you're ready to give up on it, Zemeckis reminds you that he's capable of true visual dynamism, enhanced but not wholly dictated by the digital landscape he so clearly adores. Plus, Jim Carrey is good as Scrooge

 

George Clooney & Ewan McGregor

The Men Who Stare at Goats
George Clooney & Ewan McGregor in The Men Who Stare at Goats

Here's a quirky comedic drama about one of the stranger aspects of the modern U.S. Army: a time when certain high-ranking officers felt that the New Age techniques and beliefs of the counterculture could transform military practice as we know it. Director Grant Heslov is unable to make "Goats" a completely successful film, but it's still worth watching because it provides a showcase for a group of actors

 

Milla Jovovich & Elias Koteas

The Fourth Kind
Milla Jovovich & Elias Koteas in The Fourth Kind

Milla Jovovich plays a Nome, Alaska, psychotherapist whose sleep-deprived patients tell her chilling, cryptic stories of owls and abduction when she puts them under hypnosis. The conceit that director Olatunde Osunsanmi milks is an interview between the director and the 'real' Dr. Abigail Tyler

 

Adam Goldberg & Marley Shelton

(Untitled)
Adam Goldberg & Marley Shelton

The new comedy "(Untitled)" wanders the exhibition spaces, lofts and performance venues of Manhattan, eavesdropping on the narcissistic mutterings of a group of artists, bohemians and poseurs. This is a tale of two brothers. Adrian (Adam Goldberg) devotes his sour life to forbiddingly atonal music. Brother Josh (Eion Bailey) is the opposite: no standards but lots of money in the bank.

 

Cameron Diaz & James Marsden

The Box
Cameron Diaz & James Marsden in The Box

A man arrives at a suburban couple's home, having previously placed a mysterious item at the couple's doorstep. The man (Frank Langella) tells the woman (Cameron Diaz): Push the button on this thing, and you'll get rich, but someone in the world will die as a result. Langella is just right -- a little menacing, a little comforting. Everything else is not quite right, or not in the least right.

 

Mariah Carey - Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel

Mariah Carey - This 'Imperfect Angel' Knows What Love Is
Liz Smith

"ALL MY life, my saving grace, the thing that kept me steady, was listening to music; on the radio, on records or my mother's singing." That's the famously voluptuous singing superstar Mariah Carey, with whom I had a brief conversation the other day. I was the last of Mariah's duties that long afternoon; she'd given about 19 interviews to promote her new album, "Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel."

Barbra Streisand, Still Pitch-Perfect After All These Years
Liz Smith

Barbra Streisand's voice has not suffered much over the years, despite the fact that she doesn't exercise those golden vocal chords. She has admitted to some last-minute warm-ups right before recording or beginning a tour, but otherwise, she just opens her mouth and out come those famous tones, ravishing, if inevitably matured and deeper.

 

In Theaters: Movie Reviews

 

Michael Jackson's This Is It
Michael Jackson in Michael Jackson's This Is It

Produced with the cooperation of the Jackson estate, "This Is It" has no interest in telling the full story of anything, or the crumbling state of anyone. Director Kenny Ortega -- Jackson's partner in staging the London concert that never came to fruition -- is simply trying to suggest in some detail what sort of overstuffed career retrospective Jackson was attempting

 

Carey Mulligan & Peter Sarsgaard

An Education
Carey Mulligan & Peter Sarsgaard in An Education

Novelist Nick Hornby's screenplay for British journalist Lynn Barber's memoir sands a few edges off the corners of its heroine's story, yet the film is awfully charming. It bops along with so much esprit and lively acting.

 

Hilary Swank & Richard Gere

Amelia
Hilary Swank & Richard Gere in Amelia

This Amelia Earhart biopic isn't a bad movie, but it's distressingly ordinary for such an extraordinary subject. Played by an aptly cast and game Hilary Swank, Earhart becomes a checklist of Historical Legend accomplishments

 

Astro Boy Anime Movie Feature

Astro Boy
Freddie Highmore & Kristen Bell in Astro Boy

Astro Boy first appeared in a Japanese comic in 1951. His adventures led to a '60s Japanese TV series, then to the first of the American spin-offs, and now "Astro Boy" hits the big screen. I wish the film version of "Astro Boy" provided a stronger antidote to mediocrity. With the voices of Freddie Highmore, Kristen Bell and Nicolas Cage

 

John C. Reilly & Patrick Fugit

Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant
John C. Reilly & Patrick Fugit in Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant

In this campy vampire flick, the truce between vampires who sip, leaving humans a little weaker but none the wiser, and those who gorge, leaving death and destruction behind, comes to an end. This is an adaptation of the frothy kids book series by Darren Shan.

 

For more Movie Reviews & Trailers visit our Movies Section (Click Here)

 

Is It Legal to Copy a DVD?
David LaGesse

Consumers are accustomed to copying music disks to their computers, making it easy to transfer them to portable MP3 players like the iPod. Many wonder why they can't do the same with movies on DVD. Two recent court rulings nixed novel approaches that sought to make it easy and legal for consumers to copy DVDs to computers and elsewhere. Here's a quick guide to what the courts have said, what it means to consumers

 

Who was Michael Jackson
Victor Davis Hanson

When Michael Jackson tragically died two weeks ago, millions were shocked. The wonder, though, is not that the troubled pop-music megastar died at the relatively young age of 50 under regrettable circumstances, but that he was able to live as long as he did

Michael Jackson, Gone Too Soon
(M. Ryder)

Remembering My Michael Jackson
Liz Smith

Here's how I want to remember Michael -- not as the mega-star, not as Wacko Jacko, but as a lovely boy whom I got to know a bit during the filming of "The Wiz" when he was 16. He was shy -- surprisingly so, for somebody who was already a show biz veteran, and a star.

His solo "Off the Wall" and "Thriller" albums were just around the corner. He was still the brilliant lead singer of the Jackson Five -- a group that never would have gotten off the ground had it not been for Michael's unique talents.

 

Academy Awards Expand Oscar Best Picture Nominations to 10
Timothy M. Gray

And the winner is... well, actually there are lots of winners with the decision to broaden the best-picture Oscar race to 10 films. The board's decision to double the category to 10 nominees "may make it more interesting and less cloistered," said Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences president Sid Ganis at a press conference Wednesday morning.

 

TELEVISION

Discovery Channel explains Nitty-Gritty of Dirty Jobs
Liz Wolgemuth

Throughout the course of the Discovery Channel show "Dirty Jobs", Mike Rowe, 47, has parachuted into incredibly dirty jobs, including coal miner, shrimper, and even skull cleaner, paying tribute to the value and integrity of manual laborers as he sloshes around in knee-high nastiness right beside them. A recent interview with Mike Rowe about Dirty Jobs ...

NBC Puts a Royal Spin on Latenight
Brian Lowry

Most of Craig Ferguson's audience was doubtless mystified when he used his opening segment to ridicule NBC's press release proclaiming Conan O'Brien "the new king of late night."

Fresh Reality TV Shows Try to Find Spot on Crowded Sked

Finding a spot is the big challenge right now for first-season reality TV programs. After all, there are only so many hours in the day to watch television, and viewers tend to be loyal to their favorite show, even if it's a little long in the tooth.

'Breaking Bad' -- Am I the Only Person Watching This Great TV Show
Liz Smith

After having its maiden run shortened by the writer's strike, 'Breaking Bad' recently capped a breathtaking second season that delved deeper into the show's world of moral ambiguity and unintended consequences," writes Variety's pundit Brian Lowry.

 

comic strips

ANIMAL CRACKERS	ANNIE	BLISS	BOTTOM LINERS
BOUND & GAGGED	BRENDA STARR	BREWSTER ROCKIT	BROOM HILDA
DICK TRACY	GASOLINE ALLEY	GIL THORP	HOUSEBROKEN
LOOSE PARTS	LOVE IS ...	THE MIDDLETONS	PINK PANTHER
PLUGGERS	RAISING HECTOR	SYLVIA	9 TO 5

81st Academy Awards - 2009 Oscar Winner & Nominees

"Slumdog Millionaire"
Leads the Way
8 Oscars for Slumdog Millionaire

In much the same manner that the film captured the hearts of movie-goers, "Slumdog Millionaire" captured the hearts and votes of the Academy garnering 8 Oscars in total, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography and Best Adapted Screenplay.

Daily Comics & Your Favorite Comic Strips Online
Popular & Classic Comic Strips Online

Your favorite comics strips Animal Crackers, Annie, Bound & Gagged, Brenda Starr, Brewster Rockit: Space Guy, Broom-Hilda, Dick Tracy, Gasoline Alley, Gil Thorp, Housebroken, Loose Parts, The Middletons, Pink Panther, Raising Hector, Sylvia, 9 to 5, Bliss, Bottom Liners, Love Is..., Pluggers all online at ComicStripNation.com

Saunders writing Spice Girls show
TV comedienne Jennifer Saunders is to write the story for musical Viva Forever - based on the songs of the Spice Girls.

Hogan given leave to return to US
Crocodile Dundee star Paul Hogan reaches an agreement with tax authorities in Australia allowing him to return to his home in the US.

Majority 'agree with arts change'
Two-thirds of people agree with the government stance on cutting arts funding and relying more on private cash, a survey suggests.

BBC defends Thompson No 10 visit
The BBC denies the director general compromised its independence by visiting Downing Street to discuss coverage of the government's spending cuts.

Cheryl Cole 'to be given divorce'
X Factor judge Cheryl Cole will reportedly be granted a divorce from her footballer husband Ashley in a court hearing on Friday.

Blair memoirs 'break sale record'
Tony Blair's memoirs, based on his time as the prime minister, break sales records, booksellers say.

Talent contestant denied tribunal
A former Britain's Got Talent hopeful who claimed she was discriminated against at an audition fails to get her case taken to an employment tribunal.

Bob Dylan art debuts in Denmark
Some of musician Bob Dylan's artwork, never seen before by the public, is to be displayed at Denmark's National Gallery.

Singer Sami urges Pakistan relief
British singer-songwriter Sami Yusuf, billed as "Islam's biggest rock star", is donating profits from his latest single to help flood victims in Pakistan.

Pepper and Piano set for top five
The UK's first talent show to make music available for download immediately propels a little known act called Pepper and Piano into the charts.

Back... but not for long as Madeley rescues show
Ex-This Morning host Richard Madeley presents the first five minutes of the show while Eamonn Holmes is stuck in traffic.

"One more bottle and we go home," Axl tells Dublin
Guns N' Roses have walked off stage at a gig in Dublin after being booed and having bottles thrown at them by the crowd.

Museum reopens after £2m pledge
A south London museum that closed for three years is officially reopened after philanthropists pledged £2m to save it.

Rare Roman lantern found in field
A metal detecting enthusiast finds what is believed to be the only intact Roman lantern made out of bronze ever discovered in Britain.

Low-key reopening for RSC theatre
The revamped Shakespeare company theatres are to have a low-key reopening, the RSC says.

Portman launches Venice film gala
Natalie Portman attends the opening of the Venice Film Festival, which launched with her film Black Swan.

Zeta Jones reveals cancer anger
Catherine Zeta Jones reveals she is "furious" that doctors failed to detect husband Michael Douglas' throat cancer earlier.

Binoche dismisses Depardieu slur
Oscar-winner Juliette Binoche hits back at the "violence" of criticism by fellow French actor Gerard Depardieu.

Rapper TI is arrested for drugs
Rapper TI and his wife Tameka Cottle are arrested in Hollywood for drug possession, police confirm.

Apple launches MySpace challenger
Apple launches a music-based social network called Ping as part of its latest upgrade to the iTunes music software.

Sony rolls out rival to iTunes
Sony has unveiled its own music and video download in an announcement timed to coincide with an Apple media event.

Corrie to go live for anniversary
Coronation Street is to broadcast a live episode as part of its 50th anniversary celebrations, soap bosses confirm.

Miliband story dramatised on film
Channel 4 dramatises the rise of Labour party leadership candidates David and Ed Miliband, it is announced.

Recovering Cracknell is due home
Olympic medallist James Cracknell is expected home later this week, after fracturing his skull in a bike accident in the US.

Meet The Author: Sir Terry Pratchett
In the latest in the BBC News Meet The Author interviews, Sir Terry Pratchett discusses I Shall Wear Midnight, the latest in his best-selling Discworld series.

Black Swan opens Venice Film Festival
The 67th Venice Film Festival has opened with the premiere of three films, including the thriller Black Swan, starring Natalie Portman.

Tunnel season for Spacey's Vic
In a bid to go beyond the confines of the auditorium, the Old Vic company - run by Oscar winner Kevin Spacey - is putting on a season of work in a tunnel.

Writer 'missed' Shopaholic character
Writer Sophie Kinsella has described how she missed the main character of her best-selling ''Shopaholic'' series and how she seemed ''real'' to her.

Alesha confirms return to Strictly
We get the dirt from the dancefloor from Alesha Dixon as she confirms she will still be a panellist in the new series of Strictly.

Zeta Jones' fury plus more showbiz
Catherine Zeta Jones says she's "furious" over her husband's cancer, Natalie Portman's Black Swan opens Venice and the rest of the day's showbiz news

Never eat fish on a Monday?
The BBC speaks to Anthony Bourdain who returns with his long awaited sequel Medium Raw, taking stock of the changes in his life and in the culinary world.

James May: 'I was The Stig'
James May mischievously reveals to Richard Bacon that he also held the position of The Stig for five years.

Bridge symphony
Musician using London Bridge to create a 24-hour composition

Price of fame
X Factor's Olly Murs attempts leap from talent show runner-up to pop star

Hitting the books
Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan re-launch their book club

'Edgy town'
Canada provides backdrop for Kerouac's On The Road

The Stig
A profile of Ben Collins, the man in the mask

Breakfast TV quiz
Seven questions on Roland, Lizzie and morning sofas

BBC News - Entertainment & Arts
The latest stories from the Entertainment & Arts section of the BBC News web site.

 

Once Around the Park, Then Farewell
Getting ready to leave New York, but already missing the High Line, the Shakespeare Garden and more.

Time Marches ... Backward!
The Museum of Modern Art and TCM are revisiting “The March of Time” series, short films created from 1935 to 1951 that examine foreign affairs and social issues.

Movie Review | 'Going the Distance': Nothing Keeps Them Apart Except a Continent
In “Going the Distance,” Drew Barrymore and Justin Long are young lovers struggling through a cross-country romance.

Flouting the Mainstream, Forgoing a Corporate Stamp
This weekend’s All Tomorrow’s Parties music festival in Monticello, N.Y., promises to be hugely loud and, as always, sponsor free.

Art Review: Antics Aside, a Dalí of Constant Ambition
An exhibition counters the notion that late work by Dalí is bad, and that most Dalí is late work.

Movie Review | 'Machete': Growl, and Let the Severed Heads Fall Where They May
Robert Rodriguez’s splatter comedy “Machete” is a live-action comic book with roots in the pungent swamp of 1970s B movies.

'Yank!' Won't Reach Broadway This Season
The musical, about two World War II G.I.'s whose friendship turns into romance, has been delayed until the fall of 2011.

Au Revoir, New York. Hello, Paris!
Which way to the Eiffel Tower?

'You Can't Take it With You' Revival Off for Fall
Producer Elizabeth I. McCann, who had announced she would mount the show in November, said on Thursday that she is now aiming for a spring opening.

Art Review: Landscapes Framed by a Chevy
Lee Friedlander’s “America by Car,” opening Saturday at the Whitney Museum, consists of black-and-white photographs taken from inside cars.

Books of The Times: Simon Wiesenthal, the Man Who Refused to Forget
A detailed biography of the legendary Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal shows him to be a complicated hero, an angel with dirty wings.

Movie Review | 'A Woman, a Gun and a Noodle Shop': Remade in China: Coen Brothers’ Tale of Infidelity and Revenge
The director Zhang Yimou honors the unlikely affinity between himself and Joel and Ethan Coen with a remake of their movie “Blood Simple.”

Art Review: A Language Explorer Who Heard Echoes of Africa
Lorenzo Dow Turner dug deep to find many African-inflected elements in the Gullah language and culture.

Vance Bourjaily, Novelist Exploring Postwar America, Dies at 87
Mr. Bourjaily’s novels often explored what it meant to be an American at a particular historical moment.

Cammie King, Scarlett and Rhett’s Girl, Dies at 76
Ms. King played Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Butler’s ill-fated little girl, Bonnie Blue Butler, in “Gone With the Wind.”

Loving the Lowbrow (It Has Its Own Hall of Fame)
“Bad art” — rescued from trash heaps and thrift shops — has become a genre in itself, with its own fans.

Art Review: The Allure of the Homespun in the Maw of the Digital Age
“Underground Pop,” at the Parrish Art Museum in Southampton, N.Y., highlights the tension between college-trained sophistication and fictions of naïveté.

Theater Review | 'It Must Be Him': Has-Been Writer Hopes to Break Out of a Slump
In “It Must Be Him,” a comedy by Kenny Solms, Peter Scolari plays a television writer who’s trying to revive his career.

Movie Review | 'The Winning Season': Redemption as a Team Sport
An alcoholic finds self-respect as the coach of a high school girls’ basketball team in “The Winning Season.”

Movie Review | 'Last Train Home': A Family Caught in the Wheels of China’s Industrial Locomotive
This documentary by Lixin Fan traces the conflicts between married migrant factory workers in Guangzhou and their daughter, strains partly resulting from China’s accelerating economy.

Antiques: Furniture as Sculpture: A Craftsman’s Legacy
An exhibition about the Pennsylvania carver and sculptor Wharton Esherick, known for his mid-20th-century undulating furniture, opens on Sept. 7 in galleries at the University of Pennsylvania.

Movie Review | 'Etienne!': Rodent Road Trip and Human Bonds
A boy loses his rodent and finds a girl in “Etienne!,” a sunny-sweet fable about healing wounds with the balm of the open road.

Movie Review | 'Our Beloved Month of August': A Film Within a Film
The Portuguese director Miguel Gomes blurs the line between nonfiction and fiction.

Movie Review | 'Clear Blue Tuesday': A Post-9/11 Pop Musical
The film about living in New York post-9/11, is earnest and well meaning and, while dangerously sentimental at times, never quite crosses the line into maudlin.

Movie Review | 'Prince of Broadway': A Street Hustler Becomes a Reluctant Father
Like its subject, the movie is sharp, charismatic and so light on its feet we never know which way it will turn.

Movie Review: ‘Max Manus’
“Max Manus” is a solidly acted biopic of World War II derring-do.

Movie Review: White Wedding
The bungled wedding story and the road movie collide happily in “White Wedding.”

The Tipsy Diaries: The Kitchen Sink in Your Drink
It’s an infuse-a-palooza out there, as infused spirits make serious headway in bars and restaurants of all kinds.

Urban Athlete: Chorus-Line Calisthenics
For beginning hoofers or advanced, Broadway dance routines can be an alternative to the gym.

A Miniature-Golf Odyssey (Obstacles Included)
A tour of miniature-golf courses among the five boroughs.

Educational Deals this Weekend
Free superhero-fueled tutoring in Brooklyn, gardening classes for Young Sprouts near Battery Park and Sunday night fun on the Lower East Side.

House Tour: New Preston, Conn.
On Lake Waramaug, a converted boathouse has a stone foundation, a wraparound deck and direct access to the water.

Arts & Leisure Preview: The Unfinished Tale of an Unlikely Hero
Harvey Pekar, the obsessive chronicler of everyday lives, was collaborating at the end of his life on a Web project whose fate in print remains uncertain.

The Week Ahead: Aug. 29 — Sept. 4
A listing of cultural events this week.

Review: Venice Festival Opens With Glimpses Into the Pitfalls of Passion
Darren Aronofsky’s in-competition movie “Black Swan” and Tran Anh Hung’s “Norwegian Wood” tell of the agonies of professional dancing and of triangles within triangles.

Crescendo, in Double Time
Russians entered the French festival scene this summer with an open throttle and an open checkbook.

Venice Gears Up for 67th Film Festival
The film festival opens Wednesday and continues through Sept. 11 and will present dozens of features from 34 countries.

Beijing Opera, a Historical Treasure in Fragile Condition
Fans of the Beijing Opera Academy of China fear that it could fall victim to modernization as the economy surges, but the government is helping support the art form.

Design: An Italian Designer’s Homage to His Native Country
In a dazzlingly ambitious exhibition at La Triennale Design Museum in Milan, Alessandro Mendini has assembled a collection of objects to illustrate Italy.

Art Theft Underworld Frustrates France
The vulnerability of museums and high-end art owners to costly thefts has been a concern in France for years, but two events are forcing the issue into the open.

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