Debut Trailer for new Judd Apatow movie "Funny People"

Judd Apatow, the writer and director of The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up, has a new movie coming out called Funny People. Funny People stars Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann, and Eric Bana and is coming out July 31st, 2009.

Arnold Schwarzenegger to make cameo in new Stallone film

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is slated to appear in Sylvester Stallone's new film, The Expendables. The part will only be a cameo and Schwarzenegger won't have to stretch too far as an actor as he will be playing a state governor. This comes in addition to Arnold Schwarzenegger's other rumored cameo in the film Terminator Salvation.

The Expendables is a film that was written by, directed by and stars Sylvester Stallone. The film also features Jet Li (Fearless), Jason Statham (The Transporter series), Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler), Jean Claude Van Damme (JCVD), Dolph Lundgren (Rocky IV), and Chuck Norris ("Walker, Texas Ranger"). There are also many other stars slated to appear in the film. MMA fighter Randy Couture is also slated to appear in the film, along with Robert Knepper, who "Prison Break" fans might know as Theodore "T-Bag" Bagwell. Hmm a movie starring Arnold and Stallone, in the words of Jay Leno "This will be the first English speaking movie that still needs subtitles".

Television Review: "Eastbound & Down"

In the new HBO show “Eastbound and Down”, Danny McBride plays the outright side-splitting Kenny Powers, a vulgar, drug relapsing, burnt-out, ex-baseball player who is mean to all those around him. His baseball career is down and out due to horrible personal and professional decisions, and when he hits rock bottom he has to move in with his brother’s family in the small town where he grew up. To sustain a living, Kenny must take work as a substitute P.E. teacher at the nearby middle school.

Kenny is shallow and self-centered, and he tends to alienate all those he comes in contact with. To give you an example of how narcissistic he is, he's often seen listening to the audiobook version of his autobiography, narrated by himself. In his mind, he is still a superstar and he still expects to be treated as a superstar.

McBride and the show's director/fellow producer, Jody Hill, have collaborated once before on the equally hilarious movie, “The Foot Fist Way”, and now they are at it again bringing HBO another extraordinary show. McBride carries the show with his bluntness and ability to demean all those around him, and while he shines on this show, the supporting cast also provides stability to his character. Kenny Power’s brother, played by John Hawkes, is one of the only characters in the show that is partially able to keep Kenny’s flamboyant personality grounded and at bay. Also, the faculty at the middle school provide constant conflict and storyline possibilities, especially with his former high school sweetheart, April Buchanan, played by Katy Mixon.

All in all, the show blends together perfectly with the right amount of crude, raunchy humor, personal battles with addiction, and character diversity. I give this show 5/5 stars! *****/*****

Best Supporting Actor Oscar tops off Heath Ledger's string of award wins

Last night, Heath Ledger won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as "The Joker" in The Dark Knight. This tops off a string of wins Ledger had this past award show season. Here is a short list of some of the awards Ledger won for his portrayal of "The Joker":
2008 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor,
2008 BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor
2008 Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor
2008 Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor
The Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor (Ledger also won in the San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix Film Critics Circles, to name a few)
2008 Australian Film Institute International Award for Best Actor

These awards add to the collection of multiple Best Actor awards he won for his role as "Ennis Del Mar" in the film Brokeback Mountain. For Brokeback Mountain, Heath Ledger was nominated for and won the following awards:
2006 International Award for Best Actor
2005 Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor
2005 New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor (Ledger also won in the San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix Film Critics Circles).

HHH acknowledges marriage to Stephanie McMahon

On this past week's broadcast of Friday Night Smackdown, HHH (real name: Paul Levesque) actually acknowledged his marriage to the daughter of WWE owner Vince McMahon. Even though HHH has been married to Stephanie McMahon for quite a while now, this marks the first acknowledgment of their real-life marriage on WWE television.

While there has never been an outright, storyline-related, on-air acknowledgment, their marriage has been alluded to many times over the years. Most recently, HHH's on-screen friend, Shawn Michaels, would make fun of HHH, saying that he married and knocked up "what's her name." These instances were treated as inside jokes for fans who have knowledge of the personal lives of WWE wrestlers.

The storyline reason for the revealing of HHH and Stephanie McMahon's marriage was that Randy Orton, following several brutal attacks on the male members of the McMahon family, attacked Stephanie, and now HHH wants payback for the attack on his wife.

Sarah Connor may be back for Terminator Salvation

In a recent article, sources indicate that Linda Hamilton (the actress who played Sarah Connor in Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgment Day) is in talks to appear in Terminator Salvation. Hamilton turned down a chance to be in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines fearing that she might be typecast. Her character's absence was explained by the fact that her character had died during the time between Terminator 2 and Terminator 3. Terminator Salvation is slated to hit theaters May 21, 2009. We shall see if Linda Hamilton will say "I'll Be Back."

(Trivia Sidenote: Linda Hamilton was at one time married to the director of the first two Terminator films, James Cameron.)

There also have been numerous rumors that California governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger may be making a cameo in the film. Although at this point, these rumors have neither been confirmed or denied by the Governator or the director, McG. There have also been rumors that the actor who portrayed the T-1000 in Terminator 2, Robert Patrick, will also be making an appearance in the film.

IET's Official Oscar Preview

The 81st Academy Awards air this Sunday on ABC. Here are some of the things that I am interested to see:

How will Hugh Jackman do as host?
Hugh Jackman has hosted the Tony Awards three-times in the past, but this will be the first time he will host the Oscars. In fact, his performance as the host of the Tony Awards earned him an Emmy Award in 2005 for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program. Hugh Jackman is most remembered for his role as Wolverine in the X-Men films. He is also an acclaimed singer, dancer, and actor in stage musicals. I am interested to see how good a job he can do as host of the Oscars. If you think about the different hosts of the Oscars over the last twenty years ( Whoopi Goldberg, Billy Crystal, David Letterman, Steve Martin, Chris Rock, Jon Stewart, and Ellen DeGeneres), Jackman will be the first host that is not a comedian. That doesn’t mean he won’t do a good job, but will he able to keep the audience in the theater and those watching on television entertained? I guess we will be able to find out right away when he starts the night off with his monologue.

Will Heath Ledger win Best Supporting Actor?












Heath Ledger was memorable as the Joker in The Dark Knight and has to be considered the favorite after a win at last month’s Golden Globes. It will be a major shock if he doesn’t get the award on Sunday. I'll be watching to see who will be accepting the award if he wins. Will it be Dark Knight director Chris Nolan, who accepted the award in Ledger’s behalf during the Golden Globe? I’m guessing it won’t be Ledger's co-star, Christian Bale, whose famous rant has been been a punchline on various comedy shows, most recently on last week’s episode of Family Guy.

Will Mickey Rourke win for Best Actor?
Mickey Rourke was brilliant in his role as Randy, a lonely, hard-luck wrestler, in the movie, The Wrestler. Not only did he give a great performance in the movie, the movie itself was also great. I thought the movie should have gotten a few more Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director. Also, I thought for sure Bruce Springsteen would get nominated for Best Music (song) after winning it for the Golden Globes. I will be really surprised if Rourke doesn't take home the Oscar for Best Actor.

The Oscars air this Sunday (2/22) at 5PM PT/8PM ET on ABC.

The Last Episode of “Late Night with Conan O'Brien” airs this Friday

The last new episode of "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" airs this Friday night (2/20) at 12:35AM on NBC. O'Brien is leaving "Late Night" to host "The Tonight Show" starting June 1^st. Jimmy Fallon will be taking over as host of "Late Night" starting on March 2^nd.

To commemorate Conan's time at "Late Night" here are four clips I grabbed off of Hulu and NBC.com:

Here's hoping he brings that brand of off-beat humor to "The Tonight Show." And now, moonwalking Conan gifs.



I wish it was June 1st.

\nm/

Movie Review - The Wrestler : Rourke's comeback

If you’ve ever seen professional wrestling, you probably know that it is purely fictional entertainment. However, to deny the punishment wrestlers endure by calling it fake is doing them a great disservice. I watched wrestling religiously as a child and heard many stories of these performers touring in vans, driving from town to town, putting on magnificent shows.

The film exposes the lore of wrestling, and the film itself is driven by Mickey Rourke’s heartfelt performance. He captures the ruggedness of a pro wrestler and gives the average person a glimpse into the heart of a man clinging to fame as age and tough living robs him of his vitality. The story may appeal to the average viewer because it is simple, yet its simplicity makes it a powerful film. With the recent deaths of high profile wrestlers I always enjoyed watching wrestle, this film has given me plenty to think about when it comes to the world of wrestling.

The Wrestler is a film that reveals the human side of a hero, the character itself has many flaws and thus one can relate. If anyone is interested in viewing a film that accurately depicts the life of a wrestler, or better yet, if anyone wants to watch a magnificent film, then this is the film for you.

WWE Star, John Cena, to star in another Hollywood film

WWE star and former WWE World Heavyweight Champion, John Cena will be featured in another WWE-produced movie, 12 Rounds, to be released on March 27, 2009. Cena's previous film was The Marine which featured Robert Patrick from Terminator 2 as the lead villian.

On a related note, a direct-to-DVD sequel to The Marine is also being produced and features the son of WWE Hall of Fame Wrestler, "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase, Ted DiBiase Jr. DiBiase Jr. is currently holds the Tag Team Championship with Cody Rhodes. Cody Rhodes is the son of WWE Hall of Famer "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes. Ted DiBiase Jr. and Cody Rhodes are currently in a tag team known as "Priceless" and are also part of a group of second/third generation wrestlers called "Legacy" with Randy Orton. Randy Orton is the son of WWE Hall of Fame Legend Cowboy Bob Orton and the grandson of Bob Orton Sr.

Picture on the left (l to r: Ted DiBiase Jr., Cody Rhodes)
2nd Picture(John Cena applying a submission hold to Randy Orton)
3rd Picture(l to r: Orton, Rhodes, DiBiase Jr.)

New Jackie Chan film deemed too violent for release in China

The new Jackie Chan film, Shinjuku Incident, has been deemed too violent by its director, Derek Yee, and Yee has decided against releasing the film in China due to China's lack of a rating system. The director also decided against editing the film so that it could be approved by Chinese media censors due to the belief that it violates the integrity of the film. Jackie Chan, who stars in and produced the film, agrees with the decision.

In China, all films are released without ratings meaning that they are open to all audiences. However, films released in China must be approved by a censor board that is careful to censor any negative portrayals of the Chinese government. The film is scheduled to be released on April 2, 2009 in Hong Kong and on May 1, 2009 in Japan . It is still unclear as to whether or not the film will be released in the United States, as the film's dialogue is primarily in Cantonese and Japanese. This film will be more of a drama which marks a departure for Jackie Chan, who usually stars in action films.

http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2009/02/16/jackie_chan_film_too_violent_for_china

New Simpsons HD Intro This Sunday

This Sunday, "The Simpsons" will premiere a new intro. It will be the first ever high definition introduction in the show's 20 season history. You may remember that another similar landmark occurred when the show had a intro that featured live actors. This live intro was produced in the United Kingdom. If you notice the HD "Simpsons" intro is wider than the other video, it is due to the fact that HD video is widescreen by default.

WWE Star Chris Jericho strikes fan

This past weekend, WWE star Chris Jericho (real name: Chris Irvine) spat on and allegedly hit a female fan after she and a group of others heckled him. Chris Jericho was possibly being heckled due to his current portrayal as a "heel" (which in wrestling terms means he is portraying the bad guy, for the purposes of angering the audience and making the good guy wrestler appear all the more righteous). As the story goes, Jericho spat in the face of the woman then she started striking him at which point he struck her. The defense provided by the WWE is that Jericho was justified in his actions because be was being attacked by a mob as he was leaving the wrestling venue. This event happened at a WWE show in Victoria, Canada. This particular WWE show was not televised. I have also included an image of Chris Jericho talking down to retired 16 time World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair, this past Monday at the televised WWE RAW event in Oakland, California, which I attended. Also, since it appears that a few of us are wrestling fans, we will be adding interesting news in the world of sports entertainment to our site because it is definitely entertainment.

http://www2.canada.com/wrestler+altercation+with+hits+youtube/1268328/story.html?id=1268328

Jay Leno is #1 Television Personality

In a recent survey, the host of NBC's "Tonight Show," Jay Leno, was ranked America's #1 favorite TV personality. This was one of the few times a non-fictional character has taken the #1 spot. The high ranking of Jay Leno may partially be due to the announcement of his new 10PM show on NBC, which begins after his 17 year reign as host of "The Tonight Show" ends. "The Tonight Show" will then be hosted by Conan O'Brien. The number 2 personality ranked in this survey is the star of the hit Fox show House, Hugh Laurie.

Move over Jason Bourne : Movie Review - Taken

I remember when I first saw Liam Neeson as Oscar Schindler in Schindler’s List; the man demonstrated his ability to perform in dramatic roles. Now with his newest action-thriller titled, Taken, Mr. Neeson adds a whole new dimension to his repertoire.

This film has all that a movie-goer needs: a massive amount of bullets, hand to hand combat, drugs, car chases, and a superman-like protagonist attempting to rescue a beautiful girl. Although there are some holes in the script, you should be able to immerse yourself in the film and enjoy the ride. So if you're a fan of the action and spy thriller movies like The Bourne Identity or Casino Royale, this should feed your appetite quite well!

Jeffrey Donovan getting a raise

Jeffrey Donovan, known to fans as Michael Westen on the USA Network TV show "Burn Notice", has just had his salary increased from around $55000 a show to around $125000 to $150000 a show. This pay raise also adds another year to the seven year contract that Donovan has for the show. This is great news if you a fan of "Burn Notice". Jeffrey Donovan can also be seen in the Clint Eastwood directed film, Changeling.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3i60a50594ba7b56393bfd764da0130ef9

Christian Bale Goes Ballistic on Set

During the last few days, audio of The Dark Knight star Christian Bale going absolutely ballistic on the set of his new movie Terminator: Salvation leaked onto the internet. The rant, which lasted about four minutes, was aimed toward the director of photography for getting in the way of one of the shots. Bale used about forty f-bombs in that 4 minute span. You can hear the rant in the video below. The director of photography was later fired. What is strange about this incident is the timing. This incident allegedly happened some time last year during the filming of Terminator: Salvation, but is only now surfacing. The release of this audio seems to coincide with the impending release of the movie in May. You have to wonder if this is a stunt to generate hype and get everyone talking about the movie. What do you think?

You have just been Rickrolled

For those of you that do not know, there is a funny internet phenomena out there called "Rickrolling". It involves teasing a person with a link to video they want to see (such as a scene from an upcoming movie or a special sports event), but actually giving them the link to the music video for the Rick Astley song "Never Gonna Give You Up". Another variation of Rick Rolling just involves the song playing in the background.

The Rick Roll has become so prevalent that Rick Astley was nominated for the Best Act Ever at the MTV Europe Music Awards 2008. The song has also gained some notoriety among New York Mets fans. In 2008, the team was holding an online election for a team song and a massive amount of voters wrote in the Rick Astley song. Even though it was a number one vote getter, it was not selected by the Mets.

Even our president is not immune to this. During the election, someone created a Barack Roll. And now without further delay our 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama and Mr. Rick Astley.

Taken is top film this past weekend

Contrary to what was stated in our previous post, Taken was the top earner at the theaters this weekend. The film made approximately $24.7 million, which is impressive since films tend to fare poorly during Super Bowl weekends. The film features Liam Neeson on the trail of his kidnapped daughter. The second highest grossing film this weekend was Paul Blart: Mall Cop, still holding on near the top.

http://www.ew.com/ew/news/charts/0,,,00.html