NextMovie » Jason Newman

He Said, She Said: Bradley Cooper - Debating Hollywood's Most Polarizing Actor

Jason Newman — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 19:01:43 +0000

The Weinstein Co.

Is Bradley Cooper the most polarizing actor in Hollywood? Judging by our unscientific polling, it's no question.

For every "OMG, he's so hot!" comment on the web, you will find a sentence with the words "Bradley Cooper" and "douche" in it. We rounded up a few diverse opinions from various message boards and social networking sites to show what an actual conversation would look like between the "Silver Linings Playbook" star's supporters and detractors.

And yes, we know going on screen names alone can't 100 percent confirm the posters' genders, but we went with our best hunches. (Detective_scrotes, we're pretty sure you're a guy, if not in law enforcement.) One thing the Internet can all agree on: People like using exclamation points.

SHE: So if you get arrested who will you request they "hold against you"? Me: Bradley Cooper

HE: Bradley Cooper on His Favorite Books: 'Huckleberry Finn,' 'Lolita,' Ayn Rand. Effin idiot then.

SHE: Love to press a button and be at home ... in bed ... with tea ... and Bradley Cooper ...

HE: Do you think Bradley Cooper was BORN a serial murderer, or do you think he was a product of his environment?

SHE: Holy hell. The things I'd do [to] Bradley Cooper!

HE: It's sad when you're having a bromance with Bradley Cooper and he turns out to be a horse in aviator shades pretending to be Bradley Cooper.

SHE: Bradley Cooper is the definition of perfection.

HE: Bradley Cooper is the slightly-more-thinking man's Taylor Kitsch.

SHE: Beautiful, charming, adorable, kissable face. Plays "FACE" in "The A-Team" very convincingly and with good reason - he's HOT!

HE: I just don't get why they keep trying to sell this guy as a ruggedly handsome type or whateverthehell ... IMDB or whoever can touch up however many pics/posters of this dude that they want, I don't care ... He is weird looking.

Warner Bros.

SHE: I'm married and my husband knows I would bang him like a screen door in a hurricane.

HE: Plus, he's a hack "actor" used because he is cheap ... Not to mention his "Mouse Face"! He's ruining decent movies and working his way back to the C-List and horrible TV pilots!!

SHE: My boyfriend made me sit through "The Hangover." The scene where they are going out and he has on his black on black shirt and jacket. WOOOOWWWWSERS!!!! GORGEOUS!!!!

HE: I don't know what it is about him, but every time I see him, I get a urge of wanting to punch him in the face.

SHE: Is it weird that I think he is insanely drop dead gorgeous and I'm 17? I could almost be his daughter... lol. I'm not that typical teen who gushes over Justin Bieber and Robert Pattinson ... I'm a film freak and I like older guys. hehe.

HE: He has a douche face.

SHE: My sister and I saw "Limitless" last night and we were both like, oh my goodness, he is stunning. He was still beautiful in the beginning when he was kind of a slacker/loser with bad hair, but once he cleaned himself up, cut his hair, shaved, and started wearing tailored suits and crisp shirts, he just took my breath away. I know that sounds corny, but I literally could not breathe when he was on screen.

HE: Judging by the company he keeps and "chooses" to act with, I'd say Bradley is a big time douche bag!! I can't think of one of his roles that 20 or more other B-listers couldn't have pulled off. I hope Bradley is at LEAST cheap!!

SHE: Bradley Cooper is incredibly talented...but WOW is he absolutely gorgeous! I never thought I'd have a celebrity crush as huge as Johnny Depp, but it's fair too say Bradley Cooper is a god.

HE: Has anyone else noticed this? He seems to have a high opinion of both himself and his looks.

KELLY CLARKSON: Bradley Cooper ....yummy.

HE: The man has pretty eyes, I give him that, but the weakest chin. I find a weak chin a poor sign of character.

SHE: Apa-apa pun, Bradley Cooper memang hot.

HE: If Bradley Cooper was a bird, he'd be like that douchebag bird who's kind of a jerk.

SHE: He may look like he's a mega-douche in real life, but Bradley Cooper is quite easy on the eyes.

HE: The only roles this guy should play are date rapists and Ted Bundy, Scott Peterson types. What a douche.

SHE: Bradley Cooper is a fine ass white boy!

Originally published on Thursday, May 26, 2011, at 1:10 p.m. ET.

The Top 50 Music Videos Featuring Movie Stars

Jason Newman — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 00:30:36 +0000

MSN

Ever since Michael Jackson and John Landis unleashed "Thriller" in 1983, shaming all that preceded it, the music video has become an art form within itself. It can be a launching pad for your career (Alicia Silverstone), a favor to a boyfriend (Courteney Cox, Evan Rachel Wood), or a way to begin rebuilding a thousand burned bridges (Mickey Rourke).

With the MTV Video Music Awards hitting MTV tomorrow at 8 p.m. ET, we've compiled a list of the 50 best based on a number of factors: creativity of video, quality of actor's performance and, for some, random dancing ability. Our only caveats: no cameos and no soundtracks. The debate begins now.

50. Daniel Radcliffe in Slow Club's "Beginners"

At first, seeing DanRad less-than-sober in a Hawaiian shirt is the opposite of magical, but then he starts lip-synching. Still, with big-boy moves like this video and his spooktastic turn in "The Woman in Black," we're ready and willing to enjoy the former Boy Who Lived as the grown up Guy Who Rocks.

49. Rebecca Hall in James Blake's "A Case of You"

Every crooner needs a muse, and James Blake has an uncanny ability to pick 'em. First with Mischa Barton for "Goodbye My Lover" and now the easy-going and gorgeous star of "The Town" and "Vicky Cristina Barcelona." Hall manages to look ethereal even when she's angry, smoking, crying and shaving her legs. Basically, she's a perfect fit for a stunning cover of the Joni Mitchell classic.

48. Bruce Willis in Gorillaz's "Stylo"

It's all fun and games for the animated band on their road trip – even as they get into a bit of a car chase and shoot-out with a cop – until Bruce Willis comes around. The sky goes dark, yet he stays cool in his shades. Oh, and you so know he's gonna catch that spiky blue-haired trio. They don't stand a chance.

47. Anna Kendrick in LCD Soundsystem's "Pow Pow"

The "Twilight" starlet turned former Oscar nominee may look sweet and innocent wearing her sequined sweater and subtle giggles in this supervideo, but don't be fooled. Girl got powers. When her burly men don't sign on the dotted line and give her what she wants, she treats them to a witchy Iron Man-style jolt with her hands and puts 'em in their place.

Get More:
MTV Shows

46. Aubrey Plaza in Father John Misty's "Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings"

We thought Aubrey Plaza was supposed to be funny, but there's nothing funny about her bloody nose and creepy flower eating in this video. "Safety Not Guaranteed," indeed! Basically, she's a pretty hot, drug-addled mess in this video, but it's convincing so we're now pretty darn excited for whatever lays before her in her movie career. Well, so long has her real life looks nothing like this dark, twisty clip.

45. Olivia Wilde in Dashboard Confessional's "Stolen"

I once bought a pack of tarot cards when I was a kid and the shop owner told me never to let anyone else touch them. When I found my brother playing with them, I beat him senseless. That was probably an overreaction in hindsight. Olivia Wilde seems a lot more rational.

44. Miley Cyrus in Rock Mafia's "The Big Bang"

Putting the words "Miley Cyrus" and "Big Bang" in the same sentence may be fodder for a gossip rag to have a field day, but it's also a solid acting performance from the erstwhile Hannah Montana. Starring opposite "Gossip Girl"'s Kevin Zegers, she plays a dream girl whose life comes to a chilling conclusion.

43. Alexis Bledel in Less Than Jake's "She's Gonna Break Soon"

Remember that scene in "Pink Floyd The Wall" when Bob Geldof goes nuts and starts destroying everything in the room? This is kind of like that with worse music.

42. Matthew McConaughey in Butch Walker and the Black Widows' "Synthesizers"

Still looking like he's in his 20s, McConaughey reprises his role as one of the most quotable characters ever – Wooderson from "Dazed and Confused" – in the music video for this upbeat and catchy tune. In the video, Wooderson traverses through a dance club, lip syncing to the song and playing various instruments, accompanied by a few girls who look like they might be at least a few years out of high school. The video supposedly comes with the blessing of "Dazed and Confused" director Richard Linklater – we heartily approve as well, dude.

41. Rupert Grint in Ed Sheeran's "Lego House"

He may not be pining for Hermione, but that Ron Weasley still looks mighty cute when he's smitten (even in a pink hoodie). Well, until he's surrounded by faceless manniquins and trying to chew A.B.C. gum from a scrap book.

Ed Sheeran - Lego House (Official Video) from Ed Sheeran on Vimeo.

Get 40-31>>

The Top 50 Music Videos Featuring Movie Stars (40-31)

Jason Newman — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 00:29:50 +0000

40. Kristen Stewart in Marcus Foster's "I Was Broken"

K.Stew's really is a beauty made for music videos. We can't get over the simple black and white cutaways to her and the sad, yet gorgeous, look on her face just kinda breaks our hearts. You know, kinda like Foster's song.

39. Jake Gyllenhaal in The Shoes' "Time to Dance"

No matter what role Gyllenhaal takes on, one thing remains the same: He's just a little bit off-kilter. He's got a little bit of the crazy eyes, you know? That works to his benefit in this clip, where he's having a mesmerizing yet creep murder fantasy. If it doesn't get your spine tingling, we're not sure what will.

38. Helena Bonham Carter in Rufus Wainwright's "Out of the Game"

The "Harry Potter" villainess pins up her hair and aches with romantic longing amongst the halls of the Dewey Decimal System. Helena lip-synchs along to Wainwright's vocals (so it obviously sounds a bit better than "Sweeney Todd") whilst the actual singer takes on not one but three library-dweller supporting roles. We can't remember the stacks being quite so entertaining.

37. Shia LaBeouf in Sigur Ros' "Fjogur Piano"

The Beef gives us the full sausage as he goes full frontal for the Icelandic band in this very NSFW video. In other words, it's seven minutes of LaBeouf in la buff. You're welcome.

This one's a little too hot to handle, even for us. You'll have to click here to see it.

36. Scarlett Johansson in Bob Dylan's "When the Deal Goes Down"

Like the song itself, ScarJo is transported back to the 1950s to recreate a time when the Internet never existed and Super 8 cameras were revolutionary technology. The combination of heartfelt and nostalgic makes this one of Bobby D's simplest, yet memorable, late-career entries.

35. Mickey Rourke and Jennifer Love Hewitt in Enrique Iglesias' "Hero"

If the corporate brass allowed it, we would somehow find a way to insert a video of Mickey Rourke beating a singer to death in every single listicle we do. Keep in mind, this was years before Rourke's big comeback when he was still wondering what exactly happened to his career and life. We'd like to think he exorcised some demons on Iglesias' head.

34. Angelina Jolie in The Rolling Stones' "Anybody Seen My Baby?"

It's not so much the running down the street in lingerie part that we find a little perplexing. It's that Sir Mick does what anyone looking for their object of affection would do: randomly sing a question to the nearest subway attendant. There is also an old guy grabbing his boobs for some reason.

33. Natalie Portman in Devandra Banhart's "Carmensita"

We don't really get too involved in the celebrity dating scene, but it's impossible not to mention that Natalie Portman started going out with Devandra Banhart after meeting him on the set of this bizarre, Bollywood-inspired video. We've seen this video 20 times and We're still trying to find the moment when Portman said, "Yep. I want that." It was one of the few times Brooklyn Vegan and US Weekly readers had something in common. Of course, she's since moved on to a ballerino, so there's that.

32. Jack Black in Beck's "Sexx Laws"

We feel like any joke we write won't be as funny as the video itself, in which a refrigerator has sex with an oven and a pink-pantsed zebra does a 360 with his human torso. And then it gets weird. Few people can turn Jack Black into an ensemble player, but Beck scores here.

31. Mischa Barton in James Blunt's "Goodbye My Lover"

Judging by this video, the UK singer-songwriter changed the title of this 2004 single from "I Know We're Breaking Up, But Can We Have Sex One Last Time?" to the slightly more elegiac current title. It's cool, man. Every guy's been there. Just usually not with Mischa Barton.

Get 30-21>>

<

The Top 50 Music Videos Featuring Movie Stars (30-21)

Jason Newman — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 00:28:55 +0000

30. Kirsten Dunst in Savage Garden's "I Knew I Loved You"

In New York, the "subway glance" is an art form that takes years to master. Too blasé and the other person doesn't notice; too blunt and your picture ends up on PervertsontheSubway.com. The key is to go subtle until one of you is about to exit the train, then lock eyes like you're about to draw on Clint Eastwood in some old western. They're out of your life forever anyway; might as well make it count.

29. Courteney Cox in Counting Crows' "A Long December"

You can only have so much sexual tension with clean-cut, short-haired preppies like Matthew Perry before wanting to go the dreadlocked musician hippie route. Unfortunately, as both the video and real life shows, Cox and head Crow Adam Duritz didn't work out and Cox returned to her WASPy television life. At least you tried, Courteney. It was the dreads, wasn't it? Should've stuck with Springsteen.

28. Sarah Michelle Geller in Stone Temple Pilots' "Sour Girl"

So many questions on this one: Is Weiland double-jointed or does he only dance by undulating? Is that Owen Wilson hugging the fake Teletubbies? Was it in the "Buffy" contract that Sarah Michelle Geller had to go goth in every other role she played to subtly promote her vampire-slaying meal ticket? At what point do the terms "avant garde" and "postmodern" become synonyms for "nonsense"? This is like something you would see on a remake of "This is Spinal Tap."

27. Robert Downey Jr. in Elton John's "I Want Love"

Note to all you aspiring music video directors: It's not hard. Just get an empty, lavish house, one camera and Robert Downey Jr. and you're done. Stop overthinking it.

26. Juliette Lewis in HIM's "Buried Alive By Love"

We're not shy about our love for Juliette Lewis, who vacillates between scene-stealing actress, hedonistic rock star and overall weirdo (in a good way). So hanging out with a heavily tattooed Finnish rock band in an empty, ornate theater is probably a pretty normal day by her standards.

25. Bill Paxton and Judge Reinhold in Pat Benatar's "Shadows of the Night"

It's WWII pilots Judge Reinhold and Pat Benatar versus Nazi radio operator Bill Paxton in this 1982 video (though Paxton will always be Chet in "Weird Science" to us). Benatar always had that bad-ass streak in her, but bum-rushing Nazi headquarters and blowing the base up is on some next-level, "Where did you pull that one out of?" tip.

24. Evan Rachel Wood in Marylin Manson's "Heart-Shaped Glasses"

With wink-wink allegations of actual sex in the video, Marylin Manson goes from grave to cradle by featuring then-girlfriend Evan Rachel Wood. The couple have sex while being doused with blood, which is basically Manson's version of the missionary position. Not to be confused with Nelly's probable new single "Heart-Shaped Asses."

23. Jennifer Love Hewitt in LFO's "Girl on TV"

"The only problem is she's a movie star" says LFO about the "girl on TV." Doesn't lead roles in "Garfield: A Tale of Two Kitties" and "The Tuxedo," the latter called "silly beyond comprehension" by Roger Ebert, stretch the word "star" a bit thin, though?

22. Gary Oldman in Guns N' Roses "Since I Don't Have You"

How do you salvage a marginal covers album recorded for the sole purpose of fulfilling a contractual obligation? Put penciled-in eyebrows and white makeup on Gary Oldman and have him tie you up, roast you on a spit and throw your car -- with you in it -- into the ocean. This is actually one of Oldman's normal roles.

21. Charlize Theron in Brandon Flowers' "Crossfire"

Some guys have some weird, macho bullshit complex about being rescued out of a precarious situation by a girl. But when you're about to get into a fight and your girlfriend kicks the guy's ass, you better go ring shopping the next day. Here, ninjas do to Killers frontman Brandon Flowers what most people who hear his band's music dream of doing.

Get 20-11>>

<

The Top 50 Music Videos Featuring Movie Stars (20-11)

Jason Newman — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 00:27:50 +0000

20. Robin Williams in Bobby McFerrin's "Don’t Worry, Be Happy"

The video's fine, but we really just wanted to get this earworm stuck in your head again. You're welcome.

19. Liv Tyler and Alicia Silverstone in Aerosmith's "Crazy"

With "Amazing" and "Livin' on the Edge," Alicia Silverstone was already Aerosmith's go-to actress for wild child, "Screw you, Dad" roles. When she was partnered with frontman Steven Tyler's daughter Liv (in her on-screen debut), MTV couldn't play this video enough. The video features what teenage girls normally do for fun middle-aged men assume teenage girls do for fun e.g., engaging in pillow fights, participating in amateur stripper nights and seducing farmboys.

18. Dennis Hopper and Dean Stockwell in Gnarls Barkley's "Smiley Faces"

Playing off the "Who is Gnarls Barkley?" marketing campaign, Dennis Hopper and Dean Stockwell play a music historian and A&R man, respectively, delving mockumentary-style into the origins of the mythical Gnarls figure. Turns out they were swinging with Duke Ellington, jamming at Woodstock and hanging with Warhol and Lou Reed. This video is basically a hipster's "Forrest Gump."

17. Eddie Murphy in Michael Jackson's "Remember the Time"

Four years after playing Prince Akeem in "Coming to America," Eddie Murphy takes on the role of another African ruler in this John Singleton-directed video centered around ancient Egypt. With cameos by Iman, Magic Johnson and The Pharcyde (briefly seen as a dancing group), the video's special effects were groundbreaking for its time and is closer in style and length to a short film than a conventional music video. Best line: Magic after seeing someone beheaded for not entertaining the Queen: "That's cold."

16. Kim Basinger in Tom Petty's "Last Dance With Mary Jane"

It may not be the apex of human civilization, but every guy has had the "Would you have sex with [famous actress or model]? What if she was dead?" conversation with his peers. This kind of talk usually ends around the age of 13, but some guys keep it going well past the appropriate time. This video's the PG-rated visual representation of that conversation.

15. Christina Hendricks in Broken Bells' "The Ghost Inside"

Is there anything more soul-crushing than giving both legs and a hand for a shot at fame, only to discover that your best place for success is actually a desolate, barren wasteland? Broken Bells likes metaphors.

14. Danny Aiello in Madonna's "Papa Don't Preach"

Danny Aiello has always been the go-to actor when you need a working-class, exasperated middle-aged man? In fact, we're pretty sure he was born 40 years old, but that's a different article. Yes, it was the 1980s, but you still have to question Madonna's choice of baby daddy; we know mullets and sleeveless tees were the look back then, but you know that guy is still rocking that outfit 30 years later.

13. Kristen Bell in Yeasayer's "Madder Red"

Who would have thought some weird, veiny one-armed bulbous creature would inspire such pathos? What could have been simply a weird love affair between Kristen Bell and her ball-shaped lover turns into a sad tale of lost love and remorse. Though we're still wondering if that thing went to a regular hospital or animal clinic.

12. Michael Cera in Islands' "No You Don't"

"Don't buy dope from the man you don't know," sings Islands frontman Nicholas Thorburn in this "High School Academic Anti-Drug Supplementary" video. So begins Michael Cera's drug trip into psychedelic worlds and purposefully cheesy 1980s graphics. We're still not sure if doing acid with the actor would be the most or least pleasurable drug experience ever. Discuss.

11. Keanu Reeves in Paula Abdul's "Rush Rush"

Taking its cue from Nicolas Ray's "Rebel Without a Cause," this really needs to be remade today with James Franco and, just for fun, an aging Paula Abdul still portraying a high school student. Among a myriad of bizarre shots, we're most enthralled by the incongruous opening shot of Keanu imitating a cymbal-clapping toy. Avant-garde cinema of the highest order.

Get 10-1>>

<

The Top 50 Music Videos Featuring Movie Stars (10-1)

Jason Newman — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 00:25:05 +0000

10. Zach Galifianakis in Fiona Apple's "Not About Love"

We still have hope that these two will find love if only to see how eccentric and outlandish their offspring could possibly be. Apparently they met while performing repeatedly at the same club in Los Angeles, which means that the opportunity for the great reality show "Zach and Fiona Act Brilliantly Weird Together" goes fulfilled only in our heads.

9. Macaulay Culkin in Michael Jackson's "Black or White"

We could have gone with George Wendt for this one, but in 1991, no one could touch Macaulay Culkin after "Home Alone." After the stereotypical "turn the music down" parental yell, Culkin does what every 12-year-old kid wanted to do at the time. He will later show up as a hip-hopper and look tougher than Michael Jackson. Too bad the song is kind of lame, though. Eh. There's always the morph scene.

8. Chevy Chase in Paul Simon's "You Can Call Me Al"

The normally high-minded singer/songwriter Paul Simon goes the low-concept goofball route by throwing himself and Chevy Chase in a white room and engaging in awkward, white-guy-at-wedding dance moves. It doesn't hurt the comic effect that Chase has about three feet on the diminutive singer.

7. Scarlett Johansson in Justin Timberlake's "What Goes Around…Comes Around"

See, that's the thing with hooking up with a person who's already dating someone else. If they cheated on that person with you, don't be surprised if you're the next victim. Then, if this video is any indication of real life, they will die in a horrible, fiery car accident. The end.

6. Jamie Bell and Evan Rachel Wood in Green Day's "Wake Me Up When September Ends"

This single from 2004's "American Idiot" deftly speaks on the emotional consequences of having a loved one away at war. In stark contrast to "Heart-Shaped Glasses," Wood displays the same level of gravitas that made her role in "Thirteen" so memorable.

5. Johnny Depp in Petty's "Into the Great Wide Open"

You can go to roundtable discussions. You can read Passman's book. But really, all you'll ever want to know about how the music industry operates -- its perpetual elevating and dismissing of anyone who's ever written a hit song -- is contained in these six-plus minutes. Petty had 15 years of recording locked in before penning this cautionary tale. Trust him on this one. Look for appearances by Gabrielle Anwar as the girlfriend, Faye Dunaway as the manager and a pre-"Friends" Matt LeBlanc as the guy getting a tattoo in the video's closing seconds.

4. Justin Timberlake in Elton John's "This Train Don't Stop There Anymore"

This uncomfortably honest 2001 song sees Sir Elton waxing on getting older and what happens when your perceived best years are behind you. As 1970s John, Justin Timberlake transcends role-playing into embodiment, nailing not only the visual aesthetic of the flamboyant singer, but the emotional heft of the lyrics. Look for Pee-Wee Herman as John's longtime manager John Reid.

3. Dominic Monaghan and Megan Fox in Eminem's "Love the Way You Lie"

Everyone knows that one couple that is constantly breaking up, getting into fights, punching walls, throwing sharp or heavy objects and then eventually getting back together. After a while, it gets kind of annoying. But somehow, Dominic Monaghan and Megan Fox make it seem interesting, stealing bottles of vodka, fighting in bars and eventually becoming engulfed in flames. We're guessing she went Method and visualized Michael Bay's face during the fight scenes for added realism.

2. Zach Galifianakis in Kanye West's "Can't Tell Me Nothin'"

Does anyone even remember the "official" video for this directed by Hype Williams? This is proof that creativity will always trump budget; just put Galifianakis and singer Will Oldham on the comedian's North Carolina farm and see what happens. The incongruity between Kanye's urban, urbane demeanor and Galifianakis' lovable hick facade made this an instant classic.

1. Christopher Walken in Fatboy Slim's "Weapon of Choice"

It's debatable who has the most fun in this: director Spike Jonze and Fatboy Slim for getting Christopher Walken to dance throughout the whole song, Walken, a trained musical theater dancer who rarely gets to show off this particular talent, or the viewer, who once again can revel in Jonze's surrealistic, absurdist tendencies. This wasn't Walken's first video -- he appeared in Madonna's 1993 song "Bad Girl" and Skid Row's 1995 power ballad "Breakin' Down" -- but this is his video magnum opus. A simple concept executed to perfection.

<

(Originally published on Nov. 4, 2010, at 6:40 p.m. ET)

The 15 Most Badass Baldies in Movies

New Line

Bruce Willis

Our most outwardly surly member has only been permanently bald for a few years, but in some of his most memorable roles, Willis' shiny head has augmented his insanity (James Cole in "12 Monkeys") and viciousness (Butch Coolidge in "Pulp Fiction"). Now that his hair choice seems to be out of his hands, look for the grumpy visage to only intensify.

Fox

(Originally published on April 28, 2011)

Scary Foreigners: 9 Must-See Horror Flicks from Around the Globe

Jason Newman — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 19:00:17 +0000

Magnet

When it comes to horror films, Americans must humbly bow their heads and concede defeat to their international brethren. Sure, Wes Craven, Tobe Hooper, George Romero and others deserve all the accolades they've received, but as the below films prove, clever horror knows no American territoriality.

Eerie houses, ghost eyes, and sadistic doctors can be found anywhere.

Here are nine extremely scary exports every horror fan needs to see.

'The Eye' (2002)

Country: Hong Kong

Why So Scary: You'll hear this a lot from us, but skip the 2008 remake starring Jessica Alba (if you even remember it) and check out the Pang brothers' tale of a blind woman who receives a corneal transplant and begins seeing strange, dark figures everywhere she goes. It'd be a betrayal to give away any more than that. Let's just say we dug our fingers into the seat cushion more times than we'd like to admit.

'Eyes Without a Face' (1960)

Country: France

Why So Scary: Plastic surgeon Doctor Génessier is still tormented by the car accident that mangled his teenage daughter's face. To help heal her – and hide her shame – the benevolent father forces her to wear a mask while he kidnaps unsuspecting young females. The plan: graft their faces onto his daughter's. What's the worse that could happen? A graphic movie for its time – particularly the infamous transplant scene – director Georges Franju still injects his characters with pathos and warped sentimentality.

'Funny Games' (1997)

Country: Austria

Why So Scary: Forget the 2008 shot-for-shot U.S. remake. What makes Michael Haneke's story of two men that break in and hold a vacationing family hostage so creepy is the filmmaker's breaking of the fourth wall and complete lack of motive and reason for the crime other than evil enjoyment. Paul, one of the men, talks to the camera – and by extension, the audience – teasing the viewer with the sadistic tortures he's about to inflict. Unlike other horror films that allow you to keep a safe distance, "Funny Games" forces you to be implicit in the crimes and makes you question why exactly you're entertained by the film. What's more horrific than crushing self-reflection?

'Let The Right One In' (2008)

Magnet

Country: Sweden

Why So Scary: There's been dozens of vampire movies before Tomas Alfredson's adaptation of a popular Swedish book, but few have been as poignant and emotionally wrenching as this film. Don't get it twisted: there's enough gore to satiate any "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" fan, but at its core, the film revolves around the relationship between the socially awkward 12-year-old Oskar and his new female neighbor Eli, a vampire who needs to murder, as vampires will do, to survive. Decapitation never looked so beautiful.

'Nosferatu' (1922)

Country: Germany

Why So Scary: F. W. Murnau's adaptation of Bram Stoker's "Dracula" remains, 90 years later, a horror essential. When real estate agent Hutter ignores everyone's warnings and accepts a meeting at reclusive Count Orlok's castle, he quickly realizes that the coffin naps and blood fetishes may be a giveaway that something's a bit off. So begins a wave of unexplained murders and a town panicked. The film's groundbreaking make-up and Max Schreck's startlingly convincing Orlok ensure classic status.

'The Orphanage' (2007)

Sony Classics

Country: Spain

Why So Scary: Juan Antonio Bayana's brilliant, mesmerizing and startling debut film (produced by Guillermo Del Toro) begins with a couple who return to the orphanage where the wife grew up to reopen the home for disabled children. When their own child, Simon, begins displaying erratic, bizarre behavior patterns, it's quickly realized that the new house may hold some very disturbing secrets. Bayana opts for a classic, gothic feel a la "The Others" over Craven-esque scares and delivers a film that's both beautiful and terrifying.

'Ringu' (1998)

Country: Japan

Why So Scary: Before "The Ring" became a 2002 cinematic event, Hideo Nakata's original "Ringu" captured Asia's attention with a simple, yet beguiling, story: if you watch a particular video at a certain time, you receive a phone call and die one week later. When the aunt of one of the victims sees the tape herself – and receives the subsequent call – she frantically searches for clues that will keep her alive past the allotted time. Ads for the film cautioned potential viewers to not watch this one alone, proving that just because it's marketing hyperbole doesn't mean it's not true.

'Shutter' (2005)

Country: Thailand

Why So Scary: When photographer Tun and his wife Jane are involved in a hit-and-run on a deserted country road, they don't count on a spirit being less than forgiving of their vehicular crime. Returning home, Tun begins to see strange images in his photos, while Jane's dreams turn into intolerable nightmares. When they return to the scene of the accident, nobody knows anything about it. Maybe. As the couple's friends begin dying off one by one, you can guess who's next. (Again, skip the 2008 American version.)

'Suspiria' (1977)

Country: Italy

Why So Scary: Shock/shlock director Dario Argento's horror masterpiece revolves around Suzy, an American transplant in Germany who instantly sees her new prestigious ballet school for the gruesome sanctuary of murder that it is. With the occult playing a prominent role in the school's founding, Suzy goes deeper and deeper into a nightmarish world involving witches and curses. "Suspiria" is a blood-soaked, gory gem that has, 30 years later, retained its ability to shock.

Originally published Oct. 1, 2010.

'Thunder Soul' Brings in Da Classic High School Funk

Jason Newman — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 15:30:45 +0000

Roadside Attractions

The 1960s and 1970s are littered with countless soul and funk bands that are largely forgotten today. Some made genuinely exciting music; others, mediocre tracks with stellar moments, used as source material by hip-hop producers decades later. Only one can lay claim, though, to still being in high school when their greatness was first revealed.

In "Thunder Soul," a new documentary on legendary Texas high school group Kashmere Stage Band, director Mark Landsman gives a history lesson for funk and soul enthusiasts while documenting a touching reunion and tribute for the band’s charismatic leader.

Before Kashmere Stage Band, high school bands primarily looked to jazz standards as the basis for their catalogues. It was safe, anodyne and toothless, but pleasing to the mainly white audience. Under the tutelage of Music Director Conrad "Prof" Johnson, KSB brought new life to an old format, mixing jazz with funk and soul and adding elaborate, choreographed routines to the set. No one had ever seen anything like it; a group of 20-plus teenagers, all seemingly prodigies, playing with an intensity and emotion that their peers couldn't fathom. The band would go on to win numerous national championships, tour Europe, Asia and Australia and release a series of singles.

But as the film, executive produced by Jamie Foxx, shows, music was more than just a pleasant diversion for most of the band. In a poor section in Houston, many grew up with absent fathers and turned to music as a surrogate outlet for other, more illicit activities. Johnson became as much a father figure as band leader, instilling its members with a sense of self-esteem not found on any test grade.

Also Check Out: Jamie Foxx As An Animated Character

Thirty years later, with Johnson still alive but in ailing health, the band reunites to perform one last show for their leader. Many hadn't picked up their instruments in years, yet Johnson’s influence and support continued to resonate with them long after they left high school. The film intersperses interviews with Johnson with historical and current footage of the band and its supporters (including DJ Shadow, who sampled KSB for "Holy Calamity (Bear Witness II)" and Stones Throw Records' Eothen "Egon" Alapatt, who released a series of the band's music on his Now-Again Records imprint).

But if "Thunder Soul" was only about the music — which remains some of the best funk ever recorded — the film would likely preach to the converted and become another document for a niche audience. In focusing the film on Johnson and his contributions, both musically and socially, to each member, Landsman augments the musical documentary aspect with a more touching human element that will hopefully attract a bigger audience than music nerds and cratediggers.

Landsman captures Johnson at 92, frail, weakened, but still cognizant and appreciative of his students' dedication and aware of his own influence, both on the class and the genre. It's a stirring tribute to an unsung hero, one whose deeds went far beyond horn blasts and snare fills.

'Weird World of Blowfly' Shines Light on Rap/Soul Hero

Jason Newman — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 18:00:30 +0000

Variance Films

It's a testament to Clarence Reid that many of his best-known songs are unprintable on this site. In 1971, Reid, already a prominent soul singer and songwriter, adopted the alter ego Blowfly, a foul-mouthed character whose sexually explicit songs and outlandish costumes enthralled and disgusted in equal measure.

With a combination of classic song parodies and original tracks, Blowfly’s sing-rap style, recorded years before Sugarhill Gang’s "Rapper’s Delight," laid the template for hip-hop and influenced everyone from Chuck D to Ice-T to Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Reid has always remained a cult figure in music, though in the new documentary "The Weird World of Blowfly," director Jonathan Furmanski chronicles the past and present of the 72-year-old's career. Still rocking crowds. Still dressing up. Still disgusting and perverse in the best way possible.

Blowfly chronicles a year in the life of Reid, a still-touring musician whose venues range from a near-empty bar in Oregon to an 8,000-capacity arena in Germany. Furmanski injects some celebrity testimonials — Dead Kennedys frontman Jello Biafra notes Reid’s "delicious degenerate attitude toward the world" — though focuses more on Reid's day-to-day world of budget motels, long van rides and inter-band tensions, all made bearable once the Blowfly persona is on stage.

Also Check Out: The Top 40 Musicians-Turned-Actors

Furmanski deftly shows the historical importance of pre-Blowfly Reid, showcasing the songwriter’s catalog that produced some of the biggest songs of the '60s and '70s. When disco imploded in the late 1970s, so too did Reid's TK Records, reversing the years of good fortune the label had. In 2003, due to growing financial hardships, Reid sold the rights to his catalog, foregoing all future royalties from the myriad of rappers and musicians that sampled him.

While Blowfly doesn’t shy away form the facts, it wisely celebrates a man whose records may have been hidden under the mattress, yet wielded enormous influence. In an interview with Public Enemy’s Chuck D, the rapper notes that Reid’s 1965 proto-rap hit "Rap Dirty" was an inspiration for "Fight the Power," a sentiment echoed by numerous rappers. But the film also includes poignant interviews with Reid's ex-wife and children, who clearly love Reid, yet frequently mention how his musician lifestyle clashed with familial responsibilities.

Most artists Reid's age would have given up the road by now, much less worked on new music as Reid does, but as "The Weird World of Blowfly" shows, Clarence Reid isn’t ready to pack it in just yet.

Columbia

In the late 1980s to mid-1990s, Will Smith helped usher in the post-Biz Markie lighter, playful side of hip-hop, both with family-friendly tracks ("Parents Just Don't Understand," "I Think I Can Beat Mike Tyson") and his massively successful TV show "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." Beginning in 1993, however, Smith showed that hip-hop's consummate goofball had a serious, dramatic side, with his searing portrayal of a young con artist in "Six Degrees of Separation." Leading roles in "Bad Boys" and "Independence Day" would follow, and Smith quickly found himself as one of the most bankable stars in Hollywood. Fifteen years later, he has yet to relinquish the throne. While Jazzy Jeff was busy getting thrown out of houses, Smith picked up Best Actor Academy Award nominations for his portrayal of boxer Muhammad Ali in "Ali" and in 2006's" The Pursuit of Happyness."

<< Return to 40-21

Originally published Feb. 10, 2011.

The Top 40 Musicians-Turned-Actors

Jason Newman — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 14:00:55 +0000

DreamWorks

Ever since Bing Crosby starred in the 1930 film "King of Jazz," countless musicians have tried, with varying degrees of success, to parlay their musical ability into a side career in film.

The following list -- dug up in honor of this Sunday's Video Music Awards on MTV -- is proof that not all musicians are created equal when it comes to their acting abilities.

For every Mariah Carey in "Precious," you can find a Mariah Carey in "Glitter," but these 40 artists have shown that they can, at least some of the time, create memorable roles and transcend their musical careers. Sometimes, they even win Oscars.

40. Madonna

Sony

During the nascent years of MTV, no female artist had more influence visually than the Material Girl, whose mix of eye-popping fantasy and gritty urban realism videos continue to influence a generation of vocalists. Despite a Best Actress Golden Globe for 1996's "Evita," the singer's cinematic output has had mixed results, with heartfelt performances like "A League of Their Own" offset by the dreariness of "Shanghai Surprise" and "Body of Evidence." Bonus points for "Truth or Dare," though.

39. Michael Jackson

Universal

Five years before his 1983, 14-minute masterpiece "Thriller" would forever change the way music videos were created and perceived, the King of Pop was donning a wig and hay for his role as Scarecrow in Sidney Lumet's "The Wiz," an urban retelling of the "The Wizard of Oz." After "Thriller," the singer would go on to star in Francis Ford Coppola's "Captain EO" and as himself in the bizarrely wonderful "Moonwalker." Jackson also had a brief but memorable cameo in "Men In Black 2." MJ in a film about weird, alien beings. Sometimes the jokes write themselves.

38. Bow Wow

Fox Searchlight

"Rapper-turned-actor" is a cliché that's nearly as old as hip-hop itself. Yet The Artist Formerly Known as Lil Bow Wow successfully parlayed his musical success -- dude was 11 when his debut album dropped -- into film with the surprisingly popular 2002 basketball film "Like Mike." But it was his lead in the memorable 2005 coming-of-age dramedy "Roll Bounce," however, that convinced us Bow Wow had the right moves for the big screen. His most recent starring role was alongside veteran rapper-actor Ice Cube in "Lottery Ticket," which didn't exactly redefine cinema, but did well enough for Bow Wow to sustain his dual careers.

37. Snoop Dogg

Warner Bros.

Has Snoop Dogg really been in 34 feature films?! Has anyone seen three-quarters of them? Yet for every "Boss'n Up" (?) and "Da Game of Life" (??), there are notable roles in "Training Day," "Starsky & Hutch" and our favorite: the urban horror film "Hood of Horror." In keeping with his acceptance of any single thing offered to him, the rapper has lent his smooth, distinguishable voice to a number of animated films and has executive produced numerous non-animated porns, including the brilliantly named "Snoop Dogg's Buckwild Bus Tour." Add on a series of documentary narrations and you have a damn near one-man acting empire.

36. Bjork

Focus Features

When it was announced that Bjork would not only compose the score but play the lead role in Lars Von Trier's 2001 tragedy "Dancer in the Dark," a million amateur comics made the same "it will be weird and crazy" jokes. They stopped laughing after the singer's performance as an immigrant scrounging up money for her son's eye operation brought many who watched it to tears. The Icelandic singer snagged a Best Actress award at Cannes, but wouldn't return to film until "Drawing Restraint 9," the 2009 experimental film directed by her partner Matthew Barney.

35. Mick Jagger

Warner Bros.

Cult sci-fi lovers will probably assume Sir Mick is on this list for his role as an evil mercenary in "Freejack." Well, sorta. Not counting concert/band films like Jean-Luc Godard's "Sympathy for the Devil" and The Maysles Brothers' "Gimme Shelter," where Mick convincingly plays Mick, the singer makes the list for 1970's "Performance," where he somehow plays a debauched musician who provides the hideout to various miscreants and criminals. An uncensored biopic about his life would trump any of these films.

34. Chris Isaak

New Line

Even before crooner Chris Isaak broke through with 1991's "Wicked Game," the most sex-drenched country song MTV has ever played, the California singer-songwriter had turned up in 1988's "Married to the Mob" as The Clown. Authority figures would follow, as the singer with the classic 1950s good looks portrayed a SWAT Commander in "Silence of the Lambs" and a special agent in David Lynch's "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me." His roles have trailed off a bit, but he could last be seen in 2009's "The Informers."

33. Mariah Carey

Lionsgate

Good news: Mariah Carey received her first award after only her second film. Bad news: It was a Razzie for Worst Actress for 2001's "Glitter," which scored a 7 percent critic-approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. There was only one way to go from there. After roles in a few direct-to-video and little-seen films, Carey makes the list for her "Where did that come from?" performance as a social worker in 2009's "Precious." Dressed down, cleavage hidden and faint moustache applied (or grown), Carey's subtle, strong portrayal was a 180 from her "Look at me!" persona the singer displayed for the previous 16 years.

32. Ludacris

Lionsgate

Chris "Ludacris" Bridges has come a long way from voicing Weathers in "Lil' Pimp." (We don't remember that either.) As a carjacker in "Crash," Paul Haggis' ensemble film/college freshman realization (Everyone's a little bit racist sometimes!), Bridges' naturalistic style upstaged some of his more experienced peers. A supporting role in the sleeper hit "Hustle and Flow" would follow, though "Max Payne" and "Gamer," the latter of which the rapper called "the greatest movie of all time" to Rotten Tomatoes, mostly led to shrugs.

31. Beyoncé

Paramount

The former Destiny's Child frontwoman polarized critics in "Austin Powers in Goldmember," Mike Myers' third film and second inferior cash-in to "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery." But Beyoncé is best, understandably, in roles that combine music with acting, as on 2006's "Dreamgirls" and 2008's "Cadillac Records." In the latter, a sortakindabutnotreally accurate account of the founding of pioneering blues/R&B label Chess Records, Knowles excels as legendary singer Etta James. Stick to drama and you'll be higher on this list next year.

30. Tom Waits

Autonomous Films

With a reclusive demeanor, eccentric reputation and rasp that suggests 30 years of bad bourbon and too many cigarettes, Tom Waits has been the perfect go-to whenever a director needs that cool, yet detached, badass. A staple in early 1980s coming-of-age films ("The Outsiders," "Rumble Fish"), Waits has become a favorite of independent film god Jim Jarmusch ("Down By Law," "Mystery Train," "Coffee and Cigarettes") and fantastical director Terry Gilliam ("The Fisher King," "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.") When Waits appeared as The Devil in "Parnassus," the singer-songwriter's fans presumably went, "What took so long?"

29. Jennifer Lopez

Universal

It's easy to mock J. Lo's film career, given that two of her films ("Gigli" and "Jersey Girl") continue to make myriad worst-of lists and others ("Monster-in-Law," U-Turn") are pointless retreads of extremely well-worn territory ("A woman battling her mother-in-law?? Brilliant!"). But when she shines, as she does on the hallucinogenic "The Cell" or opposite George Clooney in the beloved romantic thriller "Out of Sight," Lopez brings both empathy and power to the role. She's currently the highest-paid Latin actress in film history. Not bad for someone who got their start as a Fly Girl on "In Living Color."

28. Dwight Yoakam

Miramax

Country star Dwight Yoakam has played a combination of policeman and psychopaths so well you're almost waiting for a severed head to be discovered in his fridge or hear about the signer making a citizen's arrest. Sure, he was fun as Dr. Miles in the video-game-on-coke "Crank" series, but his most powerful roles are as lunatics, most notably as the alcoholic a-hole in "Sling Blade," and the evilest burglar in David Fincher's "Panic Room." Who would've thought someone with the innocuous name "Dwight Yoakam" could be so evil?

27. Deborah Harry

New Line Cinema

The Blondie lead singer was a New York mainstay in the mid-1970s to early-1980s, establishing herself as a linchpin of the then-burgeoning punk and New Wave scene. Beginning in 1976, the singer would pop up, often haphazardly, in whatever projects her friends were working on at the time, including the quasi-fictional downtown New York classic "Downtown 81" (shot in 1981 but released in 2001). Harry's acting career went mainstream in David Cronenberg's "Videodrome," which sees the singer portray a sadomasochistic psychiatrist to scummy TV network president James Woods. These days, most of her "acting" comes from documentaries reminiscing about the glory days.

26. Harry Connick Jr.

20th Century Fox

One year before his film debut in "Memphis Belle," crooner Harry Connick Jr., a.k.a. the man who has caused a million middle-aged panties to be thrown on stage, earned worldwide acclaim with his compositions for the soundtrack to "When Harry Met Sally." Over the past 20 years, Connick Jr. has somehow found a way to release an album and film a movie at least once a year, with notable roles in "Little Man Tate" and "Independence Day." But go watch "Copycat" tonight and tell us there's a smoother serial killer than him.

25. LL Cool J

Paramount

In recent years, the Def Jam godfather has preferred small-screen roles such as "NCIS" and "House," but the versatile entertainer has done everything from comedy ("Toys") to horror ("Halloween: H2O 20 Years Later") to action ("Deep Blue Sea") to whatever the hell "Rollerball" was supposed to be. In one of life's most ironic twists, as running back Julian Washington in "Any Given Sunday," Uncle L gets mad at someone else for excessive cockiness. Acting!

24. Eminem

Universal

As big as he is, Marshall Mathers could've had a Kanye-like reign over pop culture had he not dropped out of the spotlight to stop the pill-popping that was dominating his life. After one of the best rapper/actor performances in the quasi-autobiographical "8 Mile," the rapper is making up for lost time, signing up for the boxing film "Southpaw," the 3-D horror film "Shady Talez" and an ex-con torn between his past partners in crime and FBI agents in "Random Acts of Violence." And judging by his cameo in Judd Apatow's "Funny People," Em's funny even when he's angry, so win-win.

23. Tim McGraw

Warner Bros.

Tim McGraw will probably always be known as one of the biggest country singers in the world, but even international singers need side hustles. Fans of "Friday Night Lights," (the 2004 movie, not the show) will recognize McGraw as Charles Billingsley, the tough father to fullback Don. Five years later, McGraw would star in his biggest movie to date as wealthy businessman Sean Tuohy in "The Blind Side," pulling off a surprisingly convincing performance. The signer returned to more familiar territory in 2010, playing a country singer in Shana Feste's "Country Strong."

22. Meat Loaf

20th Century Fox

Whether you like his histrionic brand of theatrical, operatic pop or not, Meat Loaf's hulking frame and innocent-looking face have made him a casting director's wet dream when the role calls for a Gentle Giant. Getting his start in the 1975 cult classic "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," the singer has popped up semi-regularly in everything from "Angels in the Outfield" to "Wayne's World." But to David Fincher and Chuck Palahniuk fans, he'll always be Robert "Bitch Tits" Paulson from "Fight Club." You just can't unsee the image of Loaf cradling Edward Norton between his heaving bosom.

21. Sean "Diddy" Combs

Universal

Since he's contractually obligated to engage in every business or creative venture at least once, no one was shocked when Combs showed up as a drug dealer in Jon Favreau's "Made." What was surprising was that he was the best part of the film and would go on to a respectable acting career in such films as "Monster's Ball" and "Get Him to the Greek" (the latter of which he managed to steal from co-stars Russell Brand and Jonah Hill). Now that we know "I'm Still Here" is a hoax, Combs' meeting with Joaquin Phoenix goes down as his best performance to date.

Get 20-1>>

'One Day' Soundtrack Resurrects '90s Classics

Jason Newman — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 20:00:42 +0000

Focus Features

Critics may be tripping over themselves thinking of new pejorative words to describe "One Day," but eternal optimists can at least look to the film's soundtrack for a glimmer of quality.

Adapted from David Nicholls' best-selling 2009 book of the same name, Lone Scherfig's romance follows Dexter (Jim Sturgess) and Emma (Anne Hathaway) over the course of 20 years, starting with the pair meeting as university students in 1988 and checking up on them every subsequent anniversary of the day they met.

You'd think following two people over two decades would necessitate a time-spanning soundtrack. But despite the inclusion of artists ranging from Primal Scream to Robbie Williams to Ronan Keating, the album focuses on mid-late 1990s productions, either from one-hit wonders (Black Grape, Corona) or artists primarily tied to that decade (Fatboy Slim).

Given that the film's protagonists are British, it's no surprise that much of the soundtrack comprises UK artists. While post-2000 tracks would have more thoroughly rounded out the album, many of the songs act as emotional time capsules, such as Corona's house classic "Rhythm of the Night" or Tricky's dark, moody "Aftermath." Both songs defined the 1990s in different ways -- the former emblematic of house's explosion into mainstream music, the latter helping to define now-cliché "trip-hop" that would influence countless electronic and hip-hop producers -- and showcase the diversity of the soundtrack.

In addition to select tracks by noted composer Rachel Portman, the album also features a new track by nerd-rock king Elvis Costello, whose evocative "Sparking Day" stands as an album highlight.

"One Day" may or may not deserve a critical drubbing, but despite the missed opportunity of more chronological diversity, the soundtrack functions as an entertaining, if not essential, slice of accompanying nostalgia.

Full Tracklisting:

1. Sparkling Day - Elvis Costello
2. Roll To Me - Del Amitri
3. Aftermath - Tricky
4. Reverend Black Grape - Black Grape
5. Born Of Frustration - James
6. Rocks - Primal Scream (*digital version only)
7. Praise You - Fatboy Slim
8. The Rhythm Of The Night - Corona
9. Angels - Robbie Williams
10. Life Is A Rollercoaster - Ronan Keating
11. Sowing The Seeds Of Love - Tears For Fears
12. Joy - Francois Feldman
13. Tear Off Your Own Head (It's A Doll Revolution) - Elvis Costello
14. One Day - main title - Rachel Portman
15. Wedding Chorus - Rachel Portman
16. July 15th - Rachel Portman
17. We Had Today - Rachel Portman

9 Movies to Watch Before Starting College

Jason Newman — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 18:00:02 +0000

DreamWorks

Note to incoming college freshmen: Orientations and handbooks are only going to get you so far in life. You're going to need a rigorous arsenal of film knowledge to get you through these next four years, and we're here to help.

Consider the following nine films an essential primer on preparing for all aspects of college life. Within these hallowed films you'll find info on fraternities, dating, roommates, sports, road trips, law school and becoming a billionaire before graduation. And while we can't guarantee this list will help you graduate and find a job, it'll definitely make the attempt more fun.

Artisan

9. 'National Lampoon's Van Wilder'

After lying dormant for years, the "National Lampoon" franchise was resurrected in 2002 with Ryan Reynolds playing the titular character, a seventh-year senior whose sole mission is to get as many girls in bed as possible. When the trust fund runs out, Wilder takes a gig planning college parties before running into school reporter Tara Reid. Use Van Wilder's business skills as a guide to start your own lucrative campus business. And once you've read Machiavelli, feel free to apply his life lessons to step on anyone who tries to crush your dream.

TriStar

8. 'Rudy'

In the ultimate underdog sports film, Sean Astin plays Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger, a Notre Dame student who's "5 feet nothin', 100 and nothin', [with] hardly a speck of athletic ability." Still, the aspiring athlete is determined to fulfill his lifelong dream of playing for Notre Dame football. One of the few movies that can reduce grown men to gushing babies, you'll want to see this for inspiration and tips on achieving your goals, whether it's making the actual football team or just asking that T.A. out for dinner.

Screen Gems

7. 'The Roommate'

So maybe it's a blatant rip-off of Barbet Schroeder's "Single White Female," but "The Roommate" still serves as the best cautionary tale for dealing with your psychotic new college friend. When mentally disturbed freshman Leighton Meester shacks up with Average Jane Minka Kelly, things go south quickly, with Meester turning into a walking after-school special. Easy solution: Only apply to schools your friends are applying to, thus ensuring that the only psychosis will be the result of daily phone calls from Mom.

20th Century Fox

6. 'Revenge of the Nerds'

With the rise of the Internet and social media, it's clear that the nerds have won. But sadly, there was a time -- let's call it the 1980s -- when the jocks still ran the school and the nerds were forced to live in the gymnasium after their house was burned down. The short-shorts and dated music will always anchor this film to a particular decade, but for every spazz, dork or geek that "has ever felt stepped on, left out, picked on [or] put down," this is the film for you.

Embassy Pictures

5. 'The Sure Thing'

No list of college films is complete without at least one John Cusack movie. Rob Reiner's 1985 comedy about two students who travel to California to meet their respective partners offers numerous disparate lessons. Most importantly, if your life is anything like a movie, you'll end up falling in love with the person you most despise. But equally significant is the necessity of at least one long, primarily useless, life-affirming road trip at some point in your college career.

MGM

4. 'Legally Blonde'

You may be asking yourself, "What does the story of a seemingly brain-dead student who enrolls at Harvard just to win her boyfriend back have to do with me?" But as Elle Woods, Reese Witherspoon actually does study for the LSATs and overcomes mocking and ridicule to succeed. Let's call this the female counterpart to "Rudy," with Witherspoon able to overcome perceived deficiencies through creativity and hard work. The more you know.

Columbia PIctures

3. 'The Social Network'

You're not actually at college to "learn" or "grow," right? Those are all just meaningless buzzwords to justify an inflated tuition rate. David Fincher's Academy Award-nominated film teaches us that while college may be the incubator for great ideas, it's the general atmosphere, rather than the classrooms, that breed billion-dollar ideas like the invention of Facebook. Helpful side note: Already be a genius before entering college.

Universal

2. 'National Lampoon's Animal House'

Preceding "Porky's," "PCU" or "Meatballs," John Landis' 1978 classic remains one of the most imitated and admired comedies of all time. Don't think about the nonexistent plot and just enjoy life with the Deltas, the most obnoxious frat in film history. Watching John Belushi, Tim Matheson and others mock all that is virtuous and true will both give you inspiration to destroy your own school and humble you that you will never even come close to being as cool as them.

DreamWorks

1. 'Old School'

Why is Todd Phillips' 2003 film about three men in their 30s who try to relive their college days our top choice? Because one day, regardless of your sex, you'll be those people: washed up, nostalgic and willing to sacrifice your firstborn to Satan to relive the best, most carefree, days of your life. The sooner you see what your life will become, the more you'll appreciate it when it's time to experience it the first time around. You're welcome.

'Crazy, Stupid, Love.' Soundtrack Aims to Create the Perfect Mixtape

Jason Newman — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 22:00:04 +0000

Warner Bros.

Think about that first mixtape you made for someone you cared about. What was on it? What wasn't? How many hours did you spend coming up with the perfect songs, in the perfect order, parsing the collection with chemist-like precision to make sure there were no subconscious errors or possibilities for misinterpretation?

Defining love musically has never been easy, but the team behind the soundtrack for "Crazy, Stupid, Love." offer their attempt: electronic music and neo-folk singer-songwriters.

Aside from the occasional forays into classic R&B (Doris Troy's "Just One Look") and modern funk (The Bamboos' "On the Sly"), downtempo groups and acoustic male singers dominate the album. Thievery Corporation, seemingly included on one out of every two indie film soundtracks these days, makes two appearances with "The Numbers Game" off 2008's "Radio Retaliation" (featuring go-go pioneer Chuck Brown) and "The Heart's a Lonely Hunter" off 2005's "The Cosmic Game." It's an easy pick; hey, go for the low-hanging fruit if it's tastes good, right? But with the addition of Goldfrapp's 2005 hit "Ooh La La," only Mark Ronson's 2009 remix of Miike Snow's "Animal" could propel this side of the soundtrack into anything quasi-current.

The album fares better on the mellower end. Canadian indie folk group The Acorn's gorgeous, plaintive "Almanac" deftly segues into California rock group Gram Rabbit's "Lost in Place," the latter fusing cold beats with warm vocal melodies reminiscent of Zero 7. Australia's The Middle East ends the album perfectly with "Blood," which, like some relationships, starts off quiet and reflective but ends with anthemic, bombastic instrumentation.

So there's not anything revelatory to the "Crazy, Stupid, Love." soundtrack. But maybe we're asking for too much. Maybe we hear the words "love" and "soundtrack" and automatically conjure all those wasted/valuable hours spent creating a diverse mix of songs; a dozen or so arrows shot into the air in the hopes that a few will hit the target. Fans of downtempo and mellow, acoustic music will dig this album, though more importantly, it may inspire you to make a soundtrack of your own.

Full Tracklisting:

1. The Numbers Game – Thievery Corporation
2. Almanac – The Acorn
3. Lost in Place – Gram Rabbit
4. The Heart’s a Lonely Hunter – Thievery Corporation & David Byrne
5. Black is the Color of my True Love’s Hair (Jaffa Remix) – Nina Simone
6. Animal (Mark Renson Remix) – Miike Snow
7. Ooh La La – Goldfrapp
8. Just One Look – Doris Troy
9. Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh – Say Hi
10. On the Sly – The Bamboos
11. I Need Your Love – Marilin Medina, Martin Medina & Jason Ruder
12. Blood – The Middle East

'Help' Soundtrack Mixes Classic Songs with Social Consciousness

Jason Newman — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 22:00:34 +0000

Disney

In the late 1950s/early '60s, rock 'n' roll was still in its infancy, drawing from such musically and racially disparate genres as country, R&B, gospel and blues for influence and inspiration. It had only been a few years since Billboard stopped calling R&B songs "race records," and the U.S., especially in the South, remained racially divided, with many black women serving as maids for white families.

Tate Taylor's upcoming film adaptation of the popular 2009 book "The Help" explores the racial and class dynamics between the titular maids and the families they support, with an accompanying soundtrack that draws from folk, country, doo-wop and early rock 'n' roll.

With the exception of "The Living Proof," a new song written and recorded by Mary J. Blige, "The Help" soundtrack is period-appropriate, combining classics such as Bob Dylan's folky "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" and Chubby Checker's pioneering "Let's Twist Again" with lesser-known tracks like Webb Pierce's country-tinged "I Ain't Never" and the vibrant gospel of Mavis Staples' "Don't Knock."

Dealing with such a politically charged environment, it's only natural the film's music supervisors would choose their selections based as much on social consciousness as musical ability and diversity. Bo Diddley ("Road Runner") and Ray Charles ("Hallelujah I Love Her So") were two of the first black musicians to make the white kids go nuts, while everything you need to know about gospel singer Dorothy Norwood is in the title "Victory Is Mine."

Blige, whose own aunt was a maid to a wealthy white family, wrote "The Living Proof" from the point of view of Aibileen (Viola Clark), a middle-aged black maid who recently lost her only son. It's an anthemic, gospel-tinged R&B track written to inspire; as Blige sings, "It's gonna be some lonely nights/But I am ready to carry on/I am so glad the worst is over/I can start living now."

Full Tracklisting:

1. The Living Proof – Mary J. Blige
2. Jackson – Johnny Cash and June Carter
3. Sherry – Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons
4. I Ain’t Never – Webb Pierce
5. Victory is Mine – Dorothy Norwood
6. Road Runner – Bo Diddley
7. Hallelujah I Love Her So – Ray Charles
8. The Wah-Watusi – The Orlons
9. (You’ve Got) Personality – Lloyd Price
10. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right – Bob Dylan
11. Let’s Twist Again – Chubby Checker
12. Don’t Knock – Mavis Staples

'Planet of the Apes' FINALLY Reconfigured as Electro Dance Party

Jason Newman — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 18:32:03 +0000

YouTube

We always knew there were a few musical references in the 1968 dystopian classic "Planet of the Apes," but we admittedly never thought to turn the dark film into an energetic party anthem. Thankfully, we have the Internet.

Brad Hasse (with the help of EP*Vision) saw the headphones and record players and took the film to its (il)logical extreme: an electro remix reconfiguring the apes as dancers and Charlton Heston as a glowstick-wearing raver.

Video editing and remixing is already in "Been there, done that" territory, but Haase's combination of remixing and graphics insertion form a new template for others to follow.

It's a hard sell on paper, but hysterical in practice. Oh the modern age.

Harry Potter: Then & Now -The Charticle

Jason Newman — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 17:27:20 +0000

Warner Bros.

It's been a decade since 2001's "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" introduced us to the cinematic versions of J.K. Rowling's ubiquitous novels. Since then, the series has barely ebbed in popularity, grossing over $6.3 billion worldwide and surpassing James Bond to become the highest-grossing film franchise.

While the world has shown steady love for the franchise, which will surely climax with this week's grand finale "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2," other trends haven't been so lucky. Friendster and flip phones will take over the world, right?

NextMovie took the time machine to 2001 to give you the below Then & Now chart. We may all be 10 years older, but Potter is eternal.

Charticle by Dustin Glick.

Tribe Called Quest Hold Love-Hate Fest in 'Beats, Rhymes & Life'

Jason Newman — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 18:00:18 +0000

Sony Classics

You could've filmed a full-length documentary on the fighting, contradicting and compromising that has accompanied Michael Rapaport's "Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest," the actor's encomium to his favorite hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest.

Beleaguered by he said/he said disputes over money, content and ownership, members Q-Tip and Ali Shaheed Muhammad have publicly disowned the film, yet for fans, "Beats, Rhymes & Life" stands as a fascinating document of one of the most influential musical groups.

When the group first appeared in the late 1980s and early 1990s, their revolutionary fusion of jazz and hip-hop, coupled with an eccentric, playful style, would influence a generation of rappers. Roots frontman Black Thought called them the "Miles Davis of hip-hop" and in 1989, the group received one of the biggest record label advances for a new artist. After five albums, Tribe Called Quest broke up in 1998, only to reunite a decade later to help defray mounting costs for founding member Phife Dawg's longstanding battle with diabetes.

"Beats, Rhymes & Life" is evenly split between the halcyon days of demo tapes, hit records and camaraderie and the latter, sadder era of infighting and bickering that defined the recordings of 1996's "Beats, Rhymes & Life" and 1998's "The Love Movement." (It should've been called "The Last Movement," laments Phife.) When Rapaport's cameras catch an altercation between Phife and Q-Tip before a 2008 Rock the Bells show, the fly-on-the-wall voyeurism shines a light, for better or worse, on the love/hate, highly emotional relationship between the two childhood friends.

Tip has been vocal about the film not showcasing, in his opinion, the group's music as much as it should. It's a fair point, as classic albums like "Midnight Marauders" are swiftly discussed before Rapaport focuses on the latter-day drama. But to whitewash the last 15 years as if they never happened would've diluted and misrepresented the legacy of one of hip-hop's most adored groups.

Like any good music documentary, "Beats, Rhymes & Life" is less a fawning tribute than an honest document; an ambitious, and mostly successful, attempt to capture a mercurial and passionate group whose sonic legacy has long been cemented but whose history can now be told.

Don't forget to check out our exclusive Q&A with Phife Dawg on the making of the film.

Krasinski, Segel, Blunt and Brie Crash a Karaoke Party

Jason Newman — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 22:01:52 +0000

Getty Images

Say you're hanging out at a bachelorette party in some bar in Ann Arbor, Mich., and you spot famous, funny celebrities. Would you coyly ignore them or ask them to do drunk karaoke?

Given that this post exists, the answer is obvious.

John Krasinski, Jason Segel, Emily Blunt and Alison Brie were minding their own business when they were approached to get on stage. Happily obliging, we get the below videos, in which Krasinski and Segel merrily butcher Joe Cocker's "With a Little Help From My Friends" and Brie and Blunt take on Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart."

Celebrities. They're just like us. And they don't do karaoke any better either.

Yes, That is a 14-Year-Old Josh Hutcherson Rapping

Jason Newman — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 20:06:17 +0000

Getty Images

White teenagers and hip-hop have had a longstanding awkward relationship. What class-confused suburban 14-year-old hasn't yelled out hip-hop lyrics that he can't relate to but still loves? Thankfully, the good people of Down With the Capitol have unearthed this 2006 clip of "The Hunger Games" and "The Kids Are All Right" star Josh Hutcherson spitting crazy flow in Barry Sonnefeld's 2006 flop "RV."

Despite an impressive cast -- that's Cheryl Hines of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" fame behind the wheel -- and big production, the film was a dud. But as long as it produced moments like the below clip, we're all for it. White boys, make some noise indeed.

Check out MC Peeta Mellark:

Neon Movie Ads Way Cooler Than Actual Movie Posters

Jason Newman — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 17:40:09 +0000

Mr. Whaite

Just when you think animated GIFs are an antiquated relic of Internet circa-1990s, someone comes up with a new and inventive idea that rejuvenates the medium.

The artist known only as Mr. Whaite decided to try his hand at creating the following neon movie ads, combining a love of film with 1960s pop art. It's hard to pick out a favorite among the lot, but we're partial to "Psycho," if only to see Norman Bates' "mother" slash through the title in beautiful meta goodness.

Seriously, though, we'll take these posters over the original ones released by the studios any day.

Check out more on Movies.com

'Art of Getting By' Soundtrack Gets By With Familiar Artists

Jason Newman — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 16:30:57 +0000

Rhino

In the spirit of Greil Marcus coining the term "punk," can we just start calling soundtracks to indie movies featuring Leonard Cohen, chirping, fey pop and under the radar rock "Pitchfork soundtracks"?

In recent years -- and "Garden State" is the most obvious, if not earliest, precedent -- there's been a glut of soundtracks featuring similar, if not identical, artists to accompany some story of teenage love, the misunderstood outsider or the schlubby 40-something about to learn a life lesson.

The soundtrack to Gavin Wiesen's "The Art of Getting By," while fine and pleasant and all those other adjectives of resignation denoting shrugged-shoulder acceptance, is the latest Pitchfork soundtrack, but inevitably not the last.

And just like all writers have subconscious crutches -- certain tools and devices they lean onto bail them out of a sentence -- so too, it seems, do indie film music supervisors. Want to promote your coolness and awareness of popular bands that remain Pitchfork-approved? Here's The Shins’ cover of the Postal Service track "We Will Become Silhouettes." Wanna reel in the over-30 crowd? Throw in Pavement's "Here" from 1992's "Slanted and Enchanted." And Leonard Cohen. Always Leonard Cohen. Here, it's "Winter Lady" from the revered singer-songwriter's 1967 debut album.

Elsewhere, Kansas indie-pop duo Mates of State take on Belle and Sebastian's "Sleep the Clock Around" and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah -- the NYC band every hipster went nuts for in 2005 -- contribute "The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth" from their debut album. But if you didn't know the specific songs, fans of "Greenberg," "Jack Goes Boating," "The Royal Tenenbaums," etc. already know the general vibe.

So, yeah, the story of a teenager loner who hates homework and would rather paint and pine over Emma Roberts gets the appropriate sonic accompaniment. But a note to filmmakers and music supervisors: There are a lot of great bands out there. You don't have to keep picking the same ones over and over.

Full Tracklisting:

1. We Will Become Silhouettes – The Shins
2. We Drink on the Job – Earlimart
3. Sally’s Theme – Alex Puro
4. Sleep the Clock Around – Mates of State
5. This Momentary – Delphic
6. Christmas Break – Alec Puro
7. Winter Lady – Leonard Cohen
8. The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth – Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
9. Sally’s Bedroom – Alec Puro
10. Spitting Fire – The Boxer Rebellion
11. Here – Pavement
12. The Trial of the Century – French Kicks

After They Were Famous: Jaleel White (aka Urkel) in 'Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer'

Jason Newman — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 20:00:05 +0000

Relativity

Frequent readers of this site know we're not above posting the occasional "Before They Were Famous" article. Everybody starts somewhere, and who isn't interested in seeing Jon Hamm palling around with geriatric astronauts or Nicole Kidman hanging out with Australian bikers?

But what happens after the fame is gone? Emily Dickinson once said, “Fame is a fickle food upon a shifting plate,” and for so many actors, the cold, hard realization that you're not the center of attention anymore can be too much to bear.

Some people, though, have been able to forge second careers with their sense of humor intact. You probably remember Jaleel White as Steve Urkel, the uber-nerd of the hit TV show "Family Matters," whose catchphrases -- "Did I do that?" -- became part of the national lexicon from 1989-98. Since then, the actor has appeared in a number of television shows and movies ranging from award-winning ("Dreamgirls") to "Huh? What?" ("Miracle Dogs Too").

We've always rooted for White. Last year, when the viral video site Urlesque changed its entire site to "Urkelesque" for April Fools' Day, White videotaped himself going along with the gag rather than lashing out at the character that defined him. More importantly, he's distanced himself from Urkel, when you know he could've ridden that train via guest appearances and autograph signings into a steady, albeit pathetic, comfortable living.

But White has eschewed that role and is set to appear in the upcoming kids' film "Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer" alongside Heather Graham. Will it catapult him into A-list status? Probably not. But where most child actors who've reached insane levels of fame have turned to drugs and alcohol and ended up in more lineups than films, White's proven that there is life past a catchphrase. For some.

My Favorite Movie: Mark Ruffalo

Jason Newman — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 09:00:11 +0000

Getty Images / Sony

"I'd probably say 'On the Waterfront.' It's [Marlon] Brando at... his all-time best. It's Elia Kazan, who is one of the all-time great directors. And it's just the perfect mix of great storytelling, social commentary and great acting. It's political and still relevant.

"Those themes are still happening today. It's universal. Coming from the theater, to tell those kind of stories in film, is what's really exciting to me."

Mark Ruffalo is currently filming 2012's "The Avengers," in which he plays Bruce Banner (aka The Hulk). "Sympathy for Delicious," his directorial debut, opened in theaters April 29.

More Favorite Movies: Jessica Szohr | Michael Sheen | Maria Bello | Kat Dennings | Pauley Perrette

Jean-Claude Van Damme's 9 Greatest Moments

Jason Newman — Fri, 27 May 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Cannon

Oh, it's Jean-Claude Van Damme. Let's all get snarky and ironic.

F**k that.

Yeah, he's not winning any acting Oscars, but the Belgian kickboxer-turned-action star has entertained us more than 90% of his Hollywood peers. Fusing years of karate and kickboxing training with -- fine -- a slightly melodramatic acting style, he's made films like "Kickboxer," "Bloodsport" and "Double Impact" that have influenced a generation of martial arts movies and set the standard that many lesser imitators would follow.

In honor of his (presumably butt-kicking) role as Master Croc in "Kung Fu Panda 2," here's a look back at some of JCVD's finest moments both onscreen and off.

9. JCVD Shills for 'World of Warcraft'

We know this ad is in French, but thankfully we have a cheap, Parisian intern on staff. Play the video below and read along. Loosely translated, Van Damme is saying, "My name is Jean-Claude Van Damme and I am praying nobody in America sees this. I asked my agent what would happen to my career if I did this and he responded, 'It's over.' But for a quick 30-second spot, I was offered a ton of money, and for dinner, some sheep. Still, I had to write down the lines on my hand."

8. A Young JCVD Training in 1979

Five years before his first film, then-professional kickboxer JCVD already had his eyes on acting. Long before "Bloodsport" or "Kickboxer," Van Damme performed in this training video. You probably can't understand it, but there's not much to get.

7. 'Kickboxer' Training Sequence

After a few duds following his breakout role in "Bloodsport," JCVD made 1989's "Kickboxer," which solidified his place in the Hollywood action-star firmament. For kickboxing fans -- OK, everyone except the nerds that feared the sport might get "too big" -- we could've gone with any number of scenes, but we're partial to the montage below. You should also check out the full kickboxing sequence from the film.

6. JCVD Battles With a Stick

You know you may not yet be Oscar material if your character name is officially "Gay Karate Man," but every actor has to do the crap films first to build up a rep and stave off homelessness for another month. In "Monaco Forever," a low-budget film about a jewel thief in Monaco, JCVD (then called Jean-Claude Vandam) picks up the main character before picking up the main character.

5. The Championship Match in 'Bloodsport'

The success of 1988's "Bloodsport," in which Van Damme plays an American fighting in an illegal, underground Hong Kong martial arts tournament, ensured that the actor would never have to play bit roles again. Though predictably eviscerated by critics, the film was a surprise hit and introduced many to JCVD's helicopter kick and awkward-looking, yet effective, split. In the final match, JCVD proves that you're going to have to do a lot more than blind him to beat him.

4. The Monologue in 'JCVD'

Blurring the line between reality and fiction, "JCVD" finds Van Damme as an aging movie star who returns home to Belgium to try and regain control of his disjointed life, only to find himself caught in the middle of a bank robbery. The film showed an entirely new side to the actor's range and in this, the film's defining scene, the actor looks back on a life filled with material success, yet short on spiritual fulfillment. It's Van Damme's rawest scene in his career and a big reason "JCVD" would be the first of the actor's films to get a theatrical release in a decade.

3. Hamming It Up in 'Breakin',' JCVD's First-Ever Screen Appearance

Van Damme was only an extra in the 1984 breakdancing film "Breakin'" -- credited simply as Guy Dancing in the Background -- but even then, with his unitard and awkward white-guy moves, a star was born. At this point, Van Damme was living in his car and barely spoke English. It's doubtful that future directors saw this footage and said, "That's the guy we want in our martial arts film," but it's far from the most embarrassing debut film ever. (That would be Nicole Kidman.)

2. JCVD Is Excited... to Be on Television

We're having trouble placing the date because we don't remember any year those jeans were cool, but we do know this: If you're going to be gyrating with exotic Brazilian women, fer chrissake, wear loose pants. Otherwise this happens:

1. The Dance Scene in 'Double Impact'

You'd think "Double Impact," in which Van Damme plays identical twins, would be the actor's hardest role. But as he told The A.V. Club in 2008: "The only thing different between Alex and Chad was the silk underwear." We would explain this scene, but if you don't know it, it's funnier without any context. Sadly, the original isn't available on the Internet -- we know; we couldn't believe it, either -- but the visuals are so over-the-top, any song'll do.

Amazing Discovery: Shaggy-Haired Film Student Bradley Cooper Questions Sean Penn on 'Actor's Studio'

Jason Newman — Wed, 25 May 2011 16:08:08 +0000

YouTube

If you've seen even one episode of "Inside the Actors Studio," you know that James Lipton's canonical interviews always involve students from the audience asking the guest of honor of question. Sadly, this will probably be the last time you see many of them in front of a camera.

But occasionally, we get the below flash of brilliance, in which a 23-year-old Bradley Cooper, then a second-year student at the Studio and three years away from his 2001 film debut in "Wet Hot American Summer," jostles his surfer-blond hair and goes for broke.

Who would've guessed this would be America's next top leading man?

Life Is Biking on a Highway in 'To Live and Ride in LA' Clip

Jason Newman — Wed, 18 May 2011 15:00:02 +0000

Trafik Pictures

Angelenos know that in their hometown, there are two immutable facts: traffic sucks and biking, more than just a way to get around, is its own distinct subculture.

"To Live and Ride in LA," a new film by director David Rowe, is the first film to examine the "fixed-gear culture," a group of cyclists specializing in fixed-gear -- read: no brakes -- bikes.

In this exclusive clip from the film -- served here in celebration of Ride Your Bike to Work Week -- fixed-gear rider Mr. Quick, frustrated from the constant traffic, exits his gear, straps on his helmet and flies through the 405 freeway. If you've ever driven in L.A., you will both applaud his temerity and spite his ability to actually move on a freeway.

"To Live and Ride in LA" hits DVD and iTunes June 21.

'Pirates of the Caribbean' Trailer Gets LEGO Treatment

Jason Newman — Sun, 15 May 2011 16:00:28 +0000

MTV

After we brought you the summer's 10 biggest movies in LEGO form, we thought we wouldn't be talking about our favorite childhood toy for a least another few months.

Then we saw this.

MTV has faithfully and painstakingly recreated the trailer to "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" with LEGOs, complete with mermaid waters, Blackbeard and sneers from unshaven, grizzled faces. The level of detail involved in this is somewhat scary.

Maybe we're greedy, but can we make a push to the studios that all trailers be released only in LEGO form? Sure, it might hurt the actors' egos but if you can't make it exciting in LEGOs, what chance do you have with the actual movie? Until that happens, though, enjoy below.

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

'Bridesmaids' Soundtrack Sounds Like a Hipster's Wedding

Jason Newman — Wed, 11 May 2011 21:36:33 +0000

Universal

OK, "Bridesmaids" soundtrack, we're just going to say it: You're launching a cannon-sized ironic shot across the bow by opening with Wilson Phillips' "Hold On."

Has anyone listened to that song since 1990?

Fear not -- the rest of the soundtrack to Paul Feig's raucous comedy "Bridesmaids" leans more toward earnest pop and rock, culling from a diverse group of primarily female artists and sprinkling in some testosterone to balance the album out.

(And full disclosure: you might find yourself humming "Hold On" for a few hours after seeing "Bridesmade," like, um, we did.)

With a movie about an impending wedding, it would've been easy to pollute your soundtrack with "Celebration," "YMCA," "Stayin' Alive" and countless other musical tropes that wore out their welcome 30 years ago. Instead, we get quirky singer-songwriters (Fiona Apple's "Paper Bag" and Kate Nash's "Do Wah Doo,") punk classics (two versions of Blondie's "Rip Her to Shreds"), '90s alt-rock (Hole's "Violet") and '60s Motown (Smokey Robinson's "My Love is Your Love.")

The two covers on the soundtrack stand as album highlights. French bossa nova cover group Nouvelle Vague transform Violent Femme's masturbation rock classic "Blister in the Sun" into loungey French pop, while Queen of Rockabilly Wanda Jackson's Jack White-assisted cover of Johnny Kidd and the Pirates' "Shakin' All Over" belie her 70+ years and prove more energetic than most artists half her age.

This is the type of movie that could easily have gone a different way. We're picturing Katrina and the Waves' "Walking on Sunshine" playing over a scene involving women running to the alter or celebrating the bachelorette party in Vegas. But they're better than that.

This is the soundtrack to your hipster friend's wedding; the one who gave the DJ a "DO NOT PLAY" list of all the wedding chestnuts and said, "Play some Hole or pack your turntables up now."

Vin Diesel Outed As Rapper-Turned-Actor

Jason Newman — Fri, 06 May 2011 15:45:25 +0000

Getty Images

God bless the Internet. New York veteran musician Gary Lucas recently unearthed a 1986 tape of Vin Diesel -- then known as 19-year-old Mark Sinclair -- rapping over a beat by dance music god Arthur Russell.

Diesel, a former bouncer at defunct New York hip-hop club The Tunnel, is no stranger to hip-hop -- you have seen his breakdancing videos, right? -- but listening to him rap is on some next level surreal brilliance tip. "I'm the Man of Steel," Diesel boldly proclaims. Maybe in movies, man. Maybe in movies.

You can hear the recording for yourself on Lucas' Soundcloud page and check out Diesel rhyming (starting at 1:08) from his 1994 directorial debut 'Multi-Facial' below.

10 Classic Mexican Movie Posters

Jason Newman — Thu, 05 May 2011 15:45:50 +0000

Santos Street

It's Cinco de Mayo -- a.k.a. the day where it's socially acceptable for white people to don sombreros and fetch that Tequiza bottle from the back of their fridge. It also reminds us of the countless classic movie posters and lobby cards Mexico released for everything from "Gone With the Wind" to "Hitler's Children."

The format was always the same: Superimpose a still from the film over selected artwork. But the results were always campy brilliance. In the spirit of the holiday, we rounded up some of our favorite Mexican versions of classic movie posters below.

'The African Queen'

'Deliverance'

'The Empire Strikes Back'

'The French Connection'

'Gone With the Wind'

'The Good, The Bad and the Ugly'

'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'

'Psycho'

'Rebel Without a Cause'

'The Shining'

Head to SantoStreet for more classic Mexican movie posters.

Exclusive Q&A: Mark Ruffalo Talks 'Sympathy For Delicious,' Playing The Hulk

Jason Newman — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 19:31:59 +0000

Getty Images

Mark Ruffalo officially has made the jump from dependable supporting actor to A-list star.

After snagging a Best Supporting Actor nomination at the Oscars this year for "The Kids Are All Right," you'd think a whole new world of opportunity would be open for the New York-via-Wisconsin and Los Angeles native. Still, it took him more than a decade to finally realize "Sympathy For Delicious," his directorial debut about a paralyzed homeless man who discovers he has faith healing powers, only to become a deejay for a local rock and roll band.

"Sympathy" was written by and stars Ruffalo's longtime friend Christopher Thornton, who was paralyzed from the waist down in real life more than 20 years ago. Ruffalo spoke with NextMovie about the film, his preparation for the Hulk in the upcoming "Avengers" movie and why getting an Oscar nomination means nothing when it comes to cinematic fund-raising.

Getty Images

"Sympathy For Delicious" was a decade in the making. Is just talking about it now a minor miracle?
The fact that this movie got made at all is the only miracle.

Were there points in the past 10 years that you thought it wasn't going to happen or were you always confident?
I was always like, "This isn't going to happen, Chris. Find another director. I'll act in it. I'll help produce it." Or he was saying, "Find another actor." We were going back and forth cheerleading each other on. But yeah, there were many, many times where I thought this movie wasn't going to happen. I wasn't ever really confident.

You've used the phrase "hellish struggles." What was the most difficult part?
Once we supposedly got the green light to go, cutting down the script to fit the budget was hellish. I was like, how are we going to make this movie? We've had to cut off every big thing that we needed, or I thought we needed. That was really difficult. Getting the money to stick was really difficult. You'd have money one day and it wasn't there the next day.

Really? Doesn't getting an Oscar nomination automatically mean you get to enjoy that new world of money waterfalls?
[Laughs] That's what everyone assumes. It still costs millions [to make a film.] There probably was a time where money was flowing that freely where that could happen. Y'know, "Let's just make a movie and see what happens." But those days are long gone. This is an investment to them. No one's doing any favors in the movie world. You might be able to get your wife or your daughter a bit part in a film that you finance, but no one's buying favors. It's too expensive.

The film has gotten polarizing reviews, winning the Dramatic Special Jury Prize at Sundance but also receiving some pretty harsh criticism. Do you think there's unfair criticism on you as a first-time director because of your higher profile?
There's one thing to review a movie and there's another thing to be an asshole to people. There was a particularly harsh reviewer at Sundance who came up to me and was like, "What do you care? You're an actor. You can just do whatever you want anyway."

As if being an actor disqualifies you from being a human being.
Yeah. But also the perception that "Sympathy For Delicious" was some little whim that I had and that I just decided to do a movie.

The 10-year vanity project.
Right. Everyone's lining up to give me cash, which just isn't so. I'll tell you something else: There is that thing of, "Prove it. Show us what you got, smart kid. You dare to cross over the bounds of being a little Mr. Actor Pants?!" Who knows. Some of those reviews were really sh**ty to people I love. Those are my actors. They're like my kids. I'm going to punch someone in the jaw.

At its core, deejaying is about resurrecting other artists. Can you talk about its connection to Chris' character?
Deejaying is an interesting thing. It's changed, but back in the day, they were taking other people's music and would make music out of it. I thought that that was a really interesting thing. [Chris' character] Dean is somebody who needs other people to do what he does. It's an resurrection of music. It just seemed really right for him to be that type of musician, that his talent was reliant on other people's talents.

A lot of this came from Chris's script, but I liked the idea of this totally fantastical marriage of a turntablist as a lead and then taking the whole faith healing -- when these dudes go out with their rings and their white satin suits and they have a band and choir and just bust into songs. It's almost like, hey man, let's just take that all the way out as far as we can and make it a rock and roll faith healing revival show.

When you look back on the past 10 years, does it inspire you to direct again or turn you off completely?
I can't wait to direct again. As soon as I wrapped this movie, I was out looking for what would be my next movie. This is all I want to do.

Would you give up acting at some point?
Maybe not give it up entirely, but if I can get a career going as a director, I would definitely keep doing that.

Getty Images

Switching gears, have you spoken to Eric Bana or Edward Norton for any Hulk dos or don'ts?
I don't know Eric, but I do know Ed pretty well. He hasn't really given me any Hulk do's or don'ts, but I really do think this next version of Bruce Banner will be built on what those guys have done before. But we joke about it and call it our generation's "Hamlet": We're all going to get a shot at it. I'm sure I won't be the last one too, by the way. I'm one in the continuum of people that'll play Bruce Banner.

You're a very active environmentalist and Earth Day was last week. Is it still an important holiday or has it become a marginalized event?
I think anything you do to talk more about it is a good thing. My kids and I planted an orchard and they'll always have that. Anything that's bringing consciousness to those problems is a good thing.

The Sexiest Royalty in Movies

Jason Newman — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 10:00:14 +0000

Weinstein Co.

You've seen the portraits in museums: Most royalty, while wielding the most power, were not the best-looking bunch (unless they just had really bitter and vindictive portrait artists).

But while it's easy to glamorize someone's life when their entire existence is predicated on living in opulent mansions and having every wish attended to, we've noticed that Hollywood and their European equivalents tend to take certain liberties with its treatment of royalty, sexing them up exponentially.

With the release of the Oscar favorite "The King's Speech," in which Colin Firth's King George VI tries to overcome a stammer, here are nine actors and actresses that will make you long for the days of feudal systems and cruel, unending subjugation.

9. Emily Blunt, 'The Young Victoria' (2009)

The only film to list both Martin Scorsese and Sarah, Duchess of York as co-producers, "The Young Victoria" looks at the early life of Queen Victoria and her romance with Prince Albert in the early 19th century. With supporting roles in "The Devil Wears Prada" and "Dan in Real Life," Blunt had retained "up-and-coming" status for years until this 2009 film showed that she could carry a film herself, as the actress received a Golden Globe nomination for the role.

Apparition

8. Kirsten Dunst, 'Marie Antoinette' (2006)

Sofia Coppola followed up her widely acclaimed sophomore feature "Lost in Translation" with this loosely based biopic of the snootiest of French consorts. The diverse cast included everyone from Asia Argento to Jason Schwartzman to Steve Coogan, but it was Dunst, who filmed "Marie Antoinette" between "Spider-Man" sequels, who was lauded for her whimsical portrayal of the Queen of France.

Sony

7. Colin Firth, 'The King's Speech' (2010)

Before he took on the role of King George VI in "The King's Speech," the British actor had long been a sex symbol in the UK, with his portrayal of Lord Wessex in "Shakespeare in Love" solidifying his international appeal. With "The King's Speech" winning early rave reviews, 2011 may be the year that lisps finally become sexy. Stutterers everywhere rejoice.

Weinstein Co.

6. Cate Blanchett, 'Elizabeth' (1998)

No movie on this list propelled its star to stardom more than "Elizabeth" and Australian actress Cate Blanchett. Prior to "Elizabeth," Blanchett had seen minor success with "Oscar and Lucinda" and "Thank God He Met Lizzie." But her portrayal of the 16th century queen earned her an Academy Award nomination, a Golden Globe for Best Actress and near-universal acclaim. Blanchett would reprise the role nine years later in "Elizabeth: The Golden Age."

Universal

5. Isabelle Adjani, 'Queen Margot' (1994)

French icon Isabelle Adjani had been starring in both mainstream and cult films for 25 years before her portrayal of Margaret of Valois, the 16th century French queen, appearing in Roman Polanski's cult horror film "The Tenant" and in the WTF 1981 film "Possession" with Sam Neill. As Queen Margot, Adjani picked up her fourth César (France's equivalent of the Oscar) and remains one of the country's most celebrated actresses.

Everett Collection

4. Eric Bana, 'The Other Boleyn Girl' (2008)

Ostensibly a film about Henry VIII, his mistress Anne Boleyn and her sister Queen Anne, Justin Chadwick's film from the 2001 novel of the same name doubled as a who's who of hotness. Eric Bana takes on the role of Henry, with Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson playing the two sisters. There were some complaints over the two female leads being American and playing British roles. It's Portman and ScarJo. Get over it.

Columbia Pictures

3. Keira Knightley, 'The Duchess' (2008)

While not as well received as her roles in "Atonement" or "Pride and Prejudice," Keira Knightley's portrayal of Georgiana Cavendish, aka The Duchess of Devonshire, still stands as one of her most ambitious roles. Ralph Fiennes could have also taken the spot as husband William, but it was Knightley whose performance earned the most notice.

Paramount Vantage

2. Leonardo DiCaprio, 'The Man in the Iron Mask' (1998)

Fresh off his kingmaking role in "Titanic," DiCaprio took on the dual role of Louis XIV and his identical twin brother Phillippe in Randall Wallace's successful, yet critically-bashed, tale of The Three Musketeers and their relationship to the hostile Sun King. Jeremy Irons, John Malkovich, Gabriel Byrne and Gérard Depardieu all ably play the musketeers, but DiCaprio excels in this underappreciated role.

Everett Collection

1. Natalie Portman, 'The Other Boleyn Girl' (2008)

We endured sleepless nights and chair-throwing days over whether to put Portman or her co-star Johansson in the pole position, but our raven-haired crush edged out the "Lost in Translation" bombshell. To prepare for her role as Anne Boleyn, Portman took daily speech classes to learn to speak with an English accent. Just when we thought she couldn't get any hotter.

Columbia

(Originally published on Nov. 29, 2010, at 7 p.m. ET)

'Scream 4' Tunes Perfect for Running (from Killer)

Jason Newman — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 17:00:42 +0000

Lakeshore Records

The soundtracks to "Scream" and "Scream 2" were diverse mishmashes of modern rock, hip-hop, soul and electronic, placing bands like Sugar Ray and Collective Soul alongside D'Angelo and Master P.

By the time we got to 2000's "Scream 3," cock rock was in full bloom, with the soundtrack reading like a who's who of early-2000s, post-grunge adolescent angst and rage (Godsmack! Sevendust! Staind!). Mom and dad may not have understood you, but that soundtrack sure did.

For "Scream 4," we get a combination of high-energy bar rock and commercially-minded electro-pop tailor-made for teenagers of both genders. The raucous bar-friendly rock of The Novocaines ("Cup of Coffee") and Locksley ("On Fire") recall The Caesars, The Datsuns and countless other "The" groups that appropriated and, in some cases, updated the Nuggets box set for a new generation. It's not hard to picture these tracks alongside someone running, or getting murdered or running to avoid getting murdered.

On the flipside, we have groups like the Swedish electro-pop band The Sounds and the goth rock of The Chain Gang of 1974, whose post-Nine Inch Nails tracks blend '80s synths with churning guitars. Norwegian singer Ida Maria's "Bad Karma" sounds like a bluesier version of Aerosmith's "Love in an Elevator" (or, to expand a bit, any 1980s power rocker seemingly composed to fill stadiums and arenas en masse).

The obvious highlight: Say Hi's "Devils," a bluesy murder ballad in the vein of Tom Waits that haunts as much as it sways. The obvious lowlight: Raney Shockne's pointless cover of Harold Faltermeyer's "Axel F," aka the "Beverly Hills Cop" theme song. We can only hope this song is accompanied by a meta-satiric scene showing one of the characters making cheesy 1980s references. Otherwise, there's no excuse.

Full tracklisting:

1. Something To Die For - The Sounds
2. Bad Karma - Ida Maria
3. Cup Of Coffee - The Novocaines
4. Make My Body - The Chain Gang Of 1974
5. Don't Mess With The Original - Marco Beltrami
6. Yeah Yeah Yeah - The Sounds
7. Run For Your Life - 6 Day Riot
8. Axel F - Raney Shockne
9. On Fire - Locksley
10. Devils - Say Hi
11. Denial - Stereo Black
12. Jill's America - Marco Beltrami

'Rio' Soundtrack: Brazilian Rhythms & Blue Sky

Jason Newman — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 21:30:01 +0000

Interscope

We've been begging and pleading with our girlfriends to let us go to Rio de Janeiro, but something about the bounty of thongs and beaches has always thwarted our travel attempts. C'est la vie.

In lieu of a spontaneous vacation, though, the best we could get is the soundtrack to Blue Sky's "Rio," the upcoming animated film about a rare macaw (voiced by Jesse Eisenberg) who travels to South America to find his female counterpart and revitalize his dying species. Man, even the birds think about sex down there.

As you'd expect, the soundtrack leans heavy on the Brazilian theme, melding updated versions of classic songs with new tracks by R&B and pop superstars. Jamie Foxx and will.i.am's "Hot Wings (I Wanna Party)" should – intentionally or not – please any 8-year-old, with Foxx singing "I wanna fly just like a bird" before being reminded, "But you are a bird."

The singer fares better with "Fly Love," his gentle, lilting update of Carlinhos Brown's "Ararinha" that showcases Foxx's naturally lush voice. Taio Cruz has pretty much usurped Akon's party-beat-under-R&B-ballad throne in 2011, so it's no surprise that his contribution "Telling the World" is the soundtrack's first single. It's unremarkable, but probably better if you imagine a group of birds swooning down from the jungle as a visual accompaniment.

Flight of the Conchords' Jermaine Clement, playing the villain Nigel, scores, though, with "Nigel's Song," injecting the same joke rap interludes that have made Conchords so popular ("Like an abandoned school, I have no principle.") The song was recently released in 13 languages, thus quelling any question as to what a bird being deceptive in Korean or Swedish would sound like.

Brazilian music, though, rules the day. "Let Me Take You to Rio" is a stirring collaboration between famed Brazilian singer/percussionist Carlinhos Brown and American singer Ester Dean, while the uptempo samba rhythms of Mikael Mutti's "Balanco Carioca" will be pumping out of every club where guys wear sunglasses indoors and girls wear shirts that say "Porn Star" and "69." "Mas Que Nada" updates Sergio Mendes' classic with the addition of Black Eyed Peas, who have apparently already plundered all the songs in their home country.

The toe-tapping, easily digestible rhythms inherent in so much classic Brazilian music dovetails nicely with a movie geared toward children. But since kids don't spend money, we also get Taio Cruz and will.i.am to ensure that those precious commercial demographics are hit. It's a win for 20th Century Fox; a half-win for the rest of us.

Full Tracklisting:

1. Real In Rio – The Rio Singers
2. Let Me Take You To Rio (Blu’s Arrival) – Ester Dean and Carlinhos Brown
3. Mas Que Nada (2011 Rio Version) – Sergio Mendes featuring Gracinha Leporace
4. Hot Wings (I Wanna Party) – will.i.am & Jamie Foxx
5. Pretty Bird – Jemaine Clement
6. Fly Love – Jamie Foxx
7. Telling The World – Taio Cruz
8. Funky Monkey – Siedah Garrett, Carlinhos Brown, Mikael Mutti, and Davi Vieira
9. Take You To Rio (Remix) – Ester Dean
10. Balanco Carioca – Mikael Mutti
11. Sapo Cai – Carlinhos Brown and Mikael Mutti
12. Samba De Orly – Bebel Gilberto
13. Valsa Carioca – Sergio Mendes

Beastie Boys Get Everyone For New Short Film

Jason Newman — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 08:20:19 +0000

Beastie Boys

Judging by the trailer to the Beastie Boys' "long ass video thing" -- otherwise known as "Fight For Your Right Revisited" -- MCA's short film that recently premiered at Sundance Film Festival, the group clearly has one of the deepest contact lists in the game.

The quasi-sequel to "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (to Party!)" sees John C. Reilly, Will Ferrell and Jack Black as Beasties from the future who travel back in time to square off against current-day Beasties Elijah Wood, Seth Rogen and Danny McBride.

Look for additional appearances by Stanley Tucci, Susan Sarandon, Ted Danson and Will Arnett, among others, as the younger version of the guys, adept at drinking Budweisers, hooking up with girls and destroying all that is good and holy, scrap it up with their older, bloated selves. Yeah, we can't really wait for this.

Billy Crystal and Helen Mirren Star in 'When Harry Met Sally' Sequel... Sorta

Jason Newman — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 22:17:59 +0000

Funny Or Die

How do you improve on Rob Reiner's 1989 romantic comedy classic "When Harry Met Sally?" The same way you improve every other movie: add vampires and zombies.

So goes the thinking in Billy Crystal's hilarious, high-profile short film for Funny or Die. With Reiner and Crystal playing themselves, the duo pitches a sequel to Adam Scott -- playing a smarmy Hollywood d-bag as only he can -- that presupposes Sally's death and how Harry can find love again. The d-bags love it, with one minor (read: major) tweak. Enter Helen Mirren and her vampiric fangs.

The film co-stars Maya Rudolph, Rob Riggle, Mike O'Malley and a very special cameo. We won't ruin that part. Just watch.

The 25 Funniest Movies Ever... This Millennium

Jason Newman — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 18:00:16 +0000

DreamWorks

Everyone has their own personal favorite genre, but comedy is arguably the most universal. Have you ever met someone who's said, "I don't like to laugh"? Neither have we.

The past decade has seen filmmakers like Adam McKay and Judd Apatow rise from obscurity onto the A-list, while actors like Seth Rogen and Zach Galifianakis have gone from esoteric television shows to big-budget movies.

But enough talk. Read. Argue. Yell at us. You can debate the order of these films all you want, but you can't deny the humor of any of them.

25. 'Meet the Parents' (2000)

Universal

If one of the benchmarks of good comedy is making the personal universal and the universal personal, it's easy to see why Jay Roach's "Meet the Parents" was so successful upon its release. What couple hasn't dreaded the initial meeting between the boyfriend and his girl's parents? Think back to that awkward attempt to be on your best behavior; that terrifying internal fear of saying something stupid or, worse, accidentally offensive. Now double it if the steely gaze of Robert De Niro, in his best comedic performance since 1988's "Midnight Run," is the guy you’re trying to impress.

24. 'Napoleon Dynamite' (2004)

Fox Searchlight

Every year or two, a small comedy breaks through the indie ceiling and into quasi-mainstream acceptance. The plot for this one couldn't be simpler: frustrated nerd growing up in small-town Idaho hates high school and virtually everyone in town. But screenwriter and director Jared Hess imbued every character – the cloying older brother Kip Chip, the adventurous grandma, the naïve, but good-natured friend Pedro, the pathetic Al Bundy arrogance of Uncle Rico – with innate warmth that celebrated rather than mocked the group’s small-town demeanor. And we'll make you an editor here if you can find us a better dance scene. (Ed. Note: We won’t really.)

23. 'Easy A' (2010)

Sony

The "high school angst" comedy has been done to death, most notably in the iconic films of John Hughes ("The Breakfast Club," "Sixteen Candles.") So why does Will Gluck's modern retelling of "The Scarlet Letter" make the list? Thank Emma Stone's mature-beyond-her-years performance and Bert Royal's script, which, unlike "Juno," actually sounded realistic when spoken by high schoolers. Add Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson as the coolest parents ever and it's a done deal.

22. 'Black Dynamite' (2009)

Sony Classics

Fans of 1970s blaxploitation films will appreciate this one the most, but even if you don't know your Truck Turner from your Cleopatra Jones, Scott Sanders and Michael Jai White's dead-on spoof of the genre accomplished a rare feat for a satire: nailing the intended targets while functioning as a fun, well-made movie in its own right. White perfectly walks the line between earnest adherence to the genre and tongue-in-cheek playfulness.

21. 'Pineapple Express' (2008)

Sony

Billed as the first "stoner action comedy," the lead roles were originally cast with Seth Rogen as the laid back drug dealer and James Franco as the user who accidentally witnesses a murder by a rogue cop and drug kingpin. Sure, that makes more sense, but flipping the roles ended up a jarringly good idea, combining the good-natured, what-planet-are-we-on humor of Cheech and Chong with grenades, guns and explosions. The cast, which included "Your Highness" star Danny McBride, improvised some of the film's funniest lines, proof that off-screen camaraderie breeds the best on-screen humor.

20. 'Step Brothers' (2008)

Sony

Director Adam McKay and stars Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly reunite after the success of 2006's "Talladega Nights" in this slapstick film about two unemployed, emotionally stunted, middle-aged men whose single parents marry and force them to live with each other. More than a little friction, as expected, occurs. "Step Brothers" isn't the smartest comedy on the list, but when you tell Ferrell and Reilly to just act like children, it's hard to argue with the results.

19. 'Bad Santa' (2003)

Miramax

The surliest, most foul-mouthed character on our list, Willie T. Stokes is an alcoholic, boorish, misanthropic, misogynistic lout, a.k.a. the type of person you would actually expect to play Santa at your local department store in real life. It didn't hurt that Billy Bob Thornton's demeanor comes off a bit gruff and dismissive in real life, but the sheer number and creativity of screenwriters Glenn Ficarra and John Requa's one-liners – "I loved a woman who wasn't clean," says Stokes to a child asking about his hair loss – justifies repeated viewings.

18. 'Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle' (2004)

New Line

We'll let the blatant product placement slide if a comedy is as funny as this stoner film about two twentysomethings on a simple, drug-fueled quest to find the titular fast-food franchise. The journey from A to B naturally has about 438 roadblocks – as often happens when drugs are involved – but Kal Penn and John Cho keep things light with hysterical, pseudo-philosophical musings. If you haven't seen it, expect some surprising cameos as well.

17. 'Super Troopers' (2001)

Fox Searchlight

Two years before "Reno 911!" began spoofing "COPS" and its progeny, comedy troupe Broken Lizard was sending up state troopers in this high-energy comedy. Somewhere in Vermont – where the biggest crime is killing time – four state troopers are in danger of losing their jobs thanks to state budget cuts. Eager to please their superiors, the group embarks on an investigation of high-profile marijuana dealers, but have to stave off a rival police force first. Lazy, stoned cops always make for good comedy.

16. 'The Other Guys' (2010)

Sony

Will Ferrell practically owns this list, and for this 2010 film, teamed up with Mr. Comedy himself Mark Wahlberg to star as two cops – well, one cop and one forensic accountant – in their take on the not-so-buddy cop movie. Ferrell, of course, has his nerd role down perfectly, yet Wahlberg, best known for dramas such as "Boogie Nights," "The Departed" and "The Fighter," uses his rough demeanor as the perfect comedic foil to Ferrell's sheepish detective.

15. 'Road Trip' (2000)

Dreamworks

Like the teen comedy genre, we've seen the road trip movie handled by everyone from Dennis Hopper to Vincent Gallo. But Todd Phillips ratcheted up the gross-out factor to create one of the decade’s most indelible and, in its own way, heartfelt looks at college and being away from home. Ostensibly a story about a guy who travels from New York to Texas to prevent his long-distance girlfriend from seeing an incriminating videotape, the plot is merely a backdrop for raucous frat parties, exploding cars, stoned canines and mice eating. Ah, college.

14. 'Mean Girls' (2004)

Paramount

It's funny how "Saturday Night Live" projects are always funnier when they're not based on one of the show's characters ("Wayne's World" nothwithstanding). Tina Fey's script about a social outcast (Lindsay Lohan, in her best role) who befriends and eventually detracts from the "rich clique" both memorializes and sends up the typical female high school experience. Produced by "SNL" honcho Lorne Michaels, the film features "SNL" alum Amy Poehler, Ana Gasteyer and Tim Meadows in supporting roles, and Rachel McAdams and Amanda Seyfried in their first high-profile roles.

13. 'Superbad' (2007)

Sony

If the central criticism surrounding the Judd Apatow universe is a penchant for maudlin sentimentality following hilarious bouts of immaturity and arrested development, Greg Mottola’s "Superbad" focuses strictly on the latter. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg started writing the film's script when they were 13; precocious for screenwriters, but the perfect age to document the angst and awkwardness of two teenage boys. And as McLovin, the hopelessly misdirected friend, Christopher Mintz-Plasse set the new bar for brilliant sidekicks.

12. 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall' (2008)

Universal

Before Russell Brand was a household name in the US, he was Aldous Snow, a drugged-out rock and roller – big stretch, Russ – who steals the titular character (Kristen Bell) from Jason Segel. While the cast, including Mila Kunis, Jonah Hill and Bill Hader, clearly relish the Hawaiian setting, in retrospect, this is Brand's film, as the mercurial actor swallows the scenery and owns every scene he's in. Oh, and you get to see Jason Segel's penis if you’re into that sort of thing. (The film's spin-off, "Get Him to the Greek," has to be considered a runnerup on this list.)

11. 'Wedding Crashers' (2005)

New Line

In real life, repeatedly sneaking into weddings to meet women will probably get your ass handed to you, but you're not as slick as Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson. As divorce mediators, the pair is understandably a bit cynical about marriage, so, ironically, they hit up weddings on the weekends for the free food, booze and, hopefully, women. When Wilson falls for the sister of one of the brides, well, you can see where this one's going. As the violent sociopath and boyfriend of Wilson's love, Bradley Cooper's breakthrough performance as Sack may be the most underrated of the decade.

10. 'Knocked Up' (2007)

Universal

Okay, so maybe it's not 100 percent plausible that after having an one-night stand, Seth Rogen and Katherine Heigl would decide to stay friendly and work their way through Heigl's pregnancy together. But Judd Apatow's sophomore effort blended the emotional resonance of a relationship comedy with the immaturity of a group of wise-cracking friends in a film that balanced juvenile idiocy with adult levels of schmaltz (in a good way).

9. 'The Hangover' (2009)

Warner Bros.

There's a reason why Todd Phillips' Las Vegas road trip movie became the highest grossing R-rated comedy in history. Recounting one long – okay, very long – night in Vegas between a fiancé and his three friends, the film starts with a missing tooth, impaled mattress, anonymous baby, wandering chicken, police cruiser and hospital bracelet. And that’s one of the normal scenes. We've seen Las Vegas in movies countless times, but never has a film conjured up such fantastical scenarios.

8. 'Best in Show' (2000)

Warner Bros.

No one has mastered awkward, improvisational comedy more than "This is Spinal Tap" and "Waiting For Guffman" director Christopher Guest. With the Mayflower Kennel Club Dog Show as the milieu, Guest skewers neurotic, overprotective dog lovers ranging from the ultra-preppy to hickish. With Guest's movies, character trumps all and the cast, including Guest vets Eugene Levy, Fred Willard and Catherine O'Hara, clearly put their vast improv skills to use. It’s not your typical big-budget comedy, but still makes us laugh every time we see it.

7. 'Zoolander' (2001)

Paramount

On paper, the idea of Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson as competing male models sounds like a straight-to-DVD release. In practice, the film is not only a incendiary satire on our culture's obsession with beauty and the superficial, but an absurdist masterpiece, filled with random one-liners that are simultaneously brilliant and idiotic. No opportunity for humor is missed. Why is Mark Ronson DJing a funeral? Why does Hansel roll to an awards show on a child's scooter? Why the gasoline fight interlude? Don't think. Just laugh.

6. 'Shaun of the Dead' (2004)

Focus

The phrase "romantic zombie comedy" could admittedly be tantamount to "disaster," but director Edgar Wright, along with longtime collaborators Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, deftly found the sweet spot between horror and humor. Wright flips the age-old zombie movie into a tale of a 29-year-old directionless salesman named Shaun whose girlfriend dumps him and whose every night is spent drinking at a nearby pub. When the zombies attack, Shaun is revitalized, finding a new sense of purpose amid the oncoming apocalypse. Zombie attacks have never been funnier.

5. 'Tropic Thunder' (2008)

Paramount

Following on "Zoolander's" absurdity, Ben Stiller's jungle adventure spoofs scumbag agents and deceitful producers, war movies like "Apocalypse Now" and "Platoon" and method actors that take their roles a little too seriously. For the latter, Robert Downey Jr.'s transformation into a black actor sparked a little controversy, but most accepted the performance as a parody of the lengths actor will go to nail the role. And he's definitely right about one thing: You never go full retard.

4. 'Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy' (2004)

DreamWorks

Arguably the pinnacle of Will Ferrell's career so far, Anchorman plays up the two qualities Ferrell does best: clueless and arrogant. Ferrell and director Adam McKay put together a perfect supporting cast in Paul Rudd, David Koechner, Steve Carell and Christina Applegate, but it's to Ferrell's credit that narcissistic misogyny can be played to such laughs. As Ron Burgundy, the scotch-drinking, jazz flute-playing protagonist, Ferrell may have the best deadpan delivery in comedy. And like the best absurdist comedies on this list, it's random scenes like the giant newscaster riot that make no sense and perfect sense at the same time.

3. 'Borat' (2006)

Fox

British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen was already well known in his home country for his portrayal of multiple characters, most notably the white, hip-hop loving Ali G and gay Austrian fashion reporter Bruno. But when Borat, the Kazakhstan journalist, traveled to the United States to interview Americans in this largely improvised film, a phenomenon was born. Set aside the catchphrases and recognize Cohen as one of the world's foremost satirists, as the comedian repeatedly exposes the prejudices and ignorance of people through his own feigned naïveté. It’s the perfect mix of high and low art.

2. 'Old School' (2003)

DreamWorks

In 1998, director Todd Phillips went undercover to expose the darker side of fraternities in "Frat House." Five years later, he revisited the subject from a different angle, corralling perpetual man-boys Luke Wilson, Will Ferrell and Vince Vaughn as thirtysomething guys who became Big Men on Campus at fictional Harrison University. Phillips excels at the debaucherous and lecherous, and the central conceit of grown men starting a fraternity allows the cast, and viewer, to indulge in the types of activities you either remember doing or wish you did.

1. 'The 40-Year Old Virgin' (2005)

Universal

You knew it'd be either Apatow or McKay that takes the crown, right? Apatow's debut about Andy Stitzer, a middle-aged virgin on a quest to finally get laid, remains his best film. Steve Carell, as our titular hero, goes against type, never going over the top and playing Andy as the friendly, geeky guy you'd see alone at the movie theater on the weekend. The cheap laughs are plentiful – "You know how I know you're gay?" became a catchphrase for years and good luck seeing the chest-waxing scene without wincing – but underneath, the film empathizes when it could easily mock. This mix of crude humor and quaint sentimentality would become Apatow's trademark, but never was it better than here.

We're giving away two copies of 'Scene It: Comedy Movies' for each of our big comedy-themed features! Click here to enter.

'Snow Dogs,' 'Inception' Mashed Together At Last

Jason Newman — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 20:42:17 +0000

Disney

"Inception" parodies. We try to get out, but they keep PULLING US BACK IN! Seriously, this will definitely be the last spoof of Christopher Nolan's sci-fi thriller we talk about... until the next one.

This time, Cuba Gooding Jr.'s comedic masterpiece "Snow Dogs," in which the former good actor travels to Alaska and begins training for a major dog-sled race, is transformed, via Hans Zimmer's score and some clever editing, into a crazy thriller.

If you've never seen "Snow Dogs," -- and unless you're 8 or under, why would you? -- you'd definitely want to watch the full-length of this fake trailer over the original. A rope and knife battle between Gooding, Jr. and James Coburn would be epic.

What If Movie Posters Actually Told the Truth?

Jason Newman — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 17:30:16 +0000

Cracked

Quality moviemaking aside, Hollywood's most striking skill is still probably its ability to sell even the most craptastic product to the masses. It's a gift they have, really, convincing us to run to the theater on the strength of a good trailer or cool poster for a bad movie.

In other words, it's damn good marketing.

The good people at Cracked feel your pain and are fighting back, portraying a series of movie posters as they should've been promoted (we should note it's hardly a new trick -- College Humor gave us hilariously honest posters for 2009's Best Picture nominees).

So Judd Apatow's "Funny People" becomes "Funny" People, "TRON: Legacy" is now "Two Hour Daft Punk Music Video" and Noah Baumbach's "Squid and the Whale" has transformed into "Very Awkward First Date Movie." We can definitely attest to the latter. Sorry, honey.

See the rest at Cracked

'Sucker Punch' Soundtrack Punches Up the Classics

Jason Newman — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 16:00:47 +0000

WaterTower Music

If you're a fan of director Zack Snyder ("Watchmen," "300"), you know that subtlety isn't exactly his strong suit. Going by the soundtrack to his new action/fantasy/teenage boy fantasy "Sucker Punch," this extends to every aspect of the process.

The film's soundtrack is comprised exclusively of covers of classic songs, including Jefferson Airplane's "White Rabbit," The Smiths'' "Where Is My Mind" and The Stooges' "Search and Destroy." While no song matches the intensity of the original, Snyder reworked many of the selections to avoid the original sin of copying the source material wholesale.

So we get Eurhythmics' "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" turned into a jazzy noir number sung by "Sucker Punch" star herself Emily Browning. The cold, detached singing of Annie Lennox have transformed into the chanteuse vocals favored by singers like Julee Cruise in all those David Lynch films. Browning also appears on a cover of a slowed-down version of The Pixies' "Where Is My Mind," with an orchestral dirge replacing the original's jittery guitar as well as a new version of The Smiths' "Asleep" with soaring strings and emotive timpanis.

While Browning and co-star Carla Gugino moonlight as singers -- the latter on Roxy Music's "Love is the Drug" -- the album is mostly left to the professionals, including UK rock group Skunk Anansie, Dead Weather and The Kills singer Alison Mosshart and Icelandic singer-songwriter Emiliana Torrini. On "White Rabbit," the ominous, foreboding tone of Grace Slick's vocals and Spencer Dryden's funereal marching band snare is now a groove-heavy song you'd find in a club at 4 a.m.

"'Sucker Punch' is a film created with multiple levels of reality, so this same layered construct had to be considered and applied when approaching the music," Snyder recently said. "The selection of songs we chose and the various ways in which they were each re-envisioned had to add depth, dimension and meaning to the sequences they exist within."

Full Tracklisting:

1. "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" - Emily Browning
2. "Army Of Me (Sucker Punch Remix) " -- Björk featuring Skunk Anansie
3. "White Rabbit" -- Emiliana Torrini
4. "I Want It All'/'We Will Rock You" Mash-Up -- Queen w/ Armageddon Aka Geddy
5. "Search and Destroy" -- Skunk Anansie
6. "Tomorrow Never Knows" -- Alison Mosshart and Carla Azar
7. "Where Is My Mind? " -- Yoav featuring Emily Browning
8. "Asleep" -- Emily Browning
9. "Love Is the Drug" -- Carla Gugino and Oscar Isaac

Finally, A Blog Dedicated to Steven Seagal's Oversized Coats

Jason Newman — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 16:00:37 +0000

Steven Seagal's Giant Coats

There are a lot of things about Steven Seagal that amaze us: the steely gaze. The economy of words used. The Deputy Chief work. The dichotomy between routine ass-kickings and a devotion to Buddhism and New Age pursuits.

But as a new site called Steven Seagal's Giant Coats points out, dude is into some baggy frocks.

Why, Mr. Seagal, why? Is it a Buddhism thing? Is it to hide nuclear weapons? Are you breeding mini-Seagals under your coat that will one day take your place in the pantheon of greatness? And what are you and Wyclef giving pound to? So many questions.

Chemical Brothers Score Mighty Return With 'Hanna' Soundtrack

Jason Newman — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 20:30:55 +0000

Back Lot Music

It's not exactly the same thing, but after Daft Punk's foray into film scoring with "TRON: Legacy" turned out to be more anticipation than enjoyment, we were admittedly a bit tentative with Chemical Brothers scoring Joe Wright's upcoming action thriller "Hanna."

Thankfully, the duo come through, providing a wide-ranging, sonically adventurous soundtrack while still retaining the electronic roots that made them revered gods oh those many years ago.

Unlike Daft playing it safe and leaning more toward Hans Zimmer than anything resembling modern music, Chemical Brothers blend traditional orchestral sounds with synths, drum machines and a slew of instrumentation conjuring up a futuristic world.

"Escape 700," as the title implies, plays like a chase scene out of "Logan's Run," with pulsating synths and chugging drums recalling the krautrock of Neu! as conducted by John Barry. The whimsical "The Devil is in the Details," the musical equivalent of a summer gambol through a meadow, gets its own makeover later in the album as the beat-heavy "The Devil is in the Beats." And "Interrogation / Lonesome Subway / Grimm's House" could run over the credits of the hypothetical next "X-Files" film; its eerie minor-key synths encapsulating Hanna's foreboding and dread.

Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons have had success before with television and film, most notably with a few tracks from last year's "Black Swan." But on "Hanna," the duo get handed the keys to the castle and deliver that rare soundtrack album that stands up independently of its accompanying movie.

"Hanna," starring Cate Blanchett, Eric Bana and Saoirse Ronan, details the titular character's growth from a extraordinarily gifted teenage solider into a would-be assassin.

Listen to "Container Park" off the "Hanna" soundtrack:

Container Park by The Chemical Brothers by Hannamovie

Full Tracklisting:

1. "Hanna's Theme"
2. "Escape 700"
3. "Chalice 1"
4. "The Devil is in the Details"
5. "Map Sounds / Chalice 2"
6. "The Forest"
7. "Quayside Synthesis"
8. "The Sandman"
9. "Marissa Flashback"
10. "Bahnhof Rumble"
11. "The Devil is in the Beats"
12. "Car Chase (Arp Worship)"
13. "Interrogation / Lonesome Subway / Grimm's House"
14. "Hanna vs Marissa"
15. "Sun Collapse"
16. "Special Ops"
17. "Escape Wavefold"
18. "Isolated Howl"
19. "Container Park"
20. "Hanna's Theme" (Vocal Version)

Man With 82 Julia Roberts Tattoos Loves Julia Roberts More Than You

Jason Newman — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 20:54:03 +0000

Reuters

How big a Julia Roberts fan are you? Seen "Pretty Woman" 10 times? Memorized a scene or two from "Erin Brockovich"? Asked your stylist to give you the "Lyle Lovett," hoping Julia would notice? Amateurs, all of ya.

Meet Miljenko Parserisas Bukovic, whose name roughly translate in English to "Bats**t crazy." The Chilean fan saw "Erin Brockovich" and, presumably sparked by Roberts' legal sassiness, got himself a tattoo of her face. Then another. And another.

He's up to 82.

Apparently every tattoo was inspired by a scene in one of Roberts' films. Even "I Love Trouble," man? Really?

"I think it's great. Miljenko is an artist whose body is his canvas," Bukovic said, quoting his imaginary girlfriend. When reached for comment, Roberts could be heard dry heaving and crossing Chile off her getaway list. Pics, in all their creepy inky goodness, below.

Natalie Portman's 9 Greatest Moments

Jason Newman — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 16:00:15 +0000

Universal

Given Natalie Portman's résumé, which includes playing everything from coquettish teenager to epileptic liar to damaged ballerina, it's really not all that shocking to find her move on to "archer in Medieval stoner comedy" in "Your Highness."

Regardless of its success, the 29-year-old actress is at a career peak right now, having just won Best Actress at this year's Academy Awards for her role as a troubled ballet dancer in Darren Aronofsky's "Black Swan," and has no less than four major movies releasing (or released) this year.

But it's just the latest in a series of roles dating back more than 15 years that have made Portman "America's Girlfriend." To wit, a look back.

9. 'V for Vendetta' (2006)

James McTeigue's adaptation of Alan Moore's classic 1980s graphic novel polarized audiences and critics alike, though many lauded Portman's role as Evey Hammond, which saw the actress pull off both her hair and a convincing English accent. The comic book nerds called "Heresy!," but in the era of playing it safe, it was refreshing to see a film marry action-filled, commercial intentions with subversion against a thinly-veiled totalitarian regime. Spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down, guys.

8. 'Between Two Ferns With Zach Galifianakis' (2009)

Zach Galifianakis' hysterical faux-public access celebrity talk show has yielded numerous brilliant moments, but Portman's appearance ranks as one of the best. Starting off with "What is your phone number?," the mock-interview only gets more awkward from there, culminating with the host asking about parts besides the head that were shaved for "V for Vendetta."

7. 'The Professional' (1994)

In retrospect, it's hard to believe Luc Besson's story of a girl whose family is murdered by mobsters and subsequently befriends her hitman neighbor was Portman's debut film role. As Mathilda, the actress transcends the phrase "child actor" and easily holds her own against Jean Reno, Gary Oldman and Danny Aiello. The making of an eventual Oscar winner starts here.

6. 'Your Highness' (2011)

After 2007's "Hotel Chevalier," Wes Anderson's 13-minute short film featuring nude scenes of Portman and co-star Jason Schwartzman, the actress swore off future nude scenes, distressed about the unwanted attention taking off your clothes brings. But in David Gordon Green's "Your Highness," Portman has backpedaled somewhat from that promise, with a disrobing that surely broke fanboy screen-grab records late last year with the release of the red-band trailer alone.

5. 'Beautiful Girls' (1996)

While Ted Demme's ensemble romantic comedy centers on a high school reunion in a New England town, it's the 13-year-old neighbor of one of the returning men that upstages them all. As the precocious, self-proclaimed "old soul" Marty, Portman exhibits a range and vulnerability usually reserved for actresses twice her age and somehow makes the creepy Lolita subplot with Timothy Hutton somewhat endearing.

4. 'Saturday Night Live' Rap (2006)

Playing off her "Ms. Perfect" image, the actress answers the question "What's a day in the life of Natalie Portman like?" with a two-minute, obscenity-laced gangsta rap extolling drinking, fighting and random sex. At least she has a sweet, inspiring message for all the children that look up to her.

3. 'Closer' (2004)

Portman first dispelled the Good Girl myth, however, with her role as Alice in Mike Nichols' "Closer," a stripper caught in a bizarre four-way relationship with her love (Jude Law), his lover (Julia Roberts) and her husband (Clive Owen.) It's complicated. Amid numerous stellar acting performances, we know which clip you want to see. Are you not entertained?

2. 'Garden State' (2004)

Before "The Shins will change your life" became shorthand for fey, indie posturing, Portman could be seen wooing Zach Braff in a doctor's office with the group's hit "New Slang." Portman's earnest portrayal of an epileptic and compulsive liar helped establish her a legitimate adult actress, and her hamster eulogy remains the most heartfelt hamster eulogy in film.

1. 'Black Swan' (2010)

After her Best Actress win at the Golden Globes, Portman is all but assured the same award at next month's Academy Awards. Why? It's not just that Portman spent more than five hours a day for a year preparing for her role as a tormented ballet dancer preparing for her lead in "Swan Lake." It's that the actress transcended the mere act of portrayal into complete embodiment and showed the lengths one will go to achieve perfection amid genius, delusion and sacrifice.

[Originally published January 19, 2011.]

Hip-Hop Invades the Movies (Through Photoshop)

Jason Newman — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 22:26:24 +0000

Today's lesson for aspiring graphic artists and humorists: Just because it's easy doesn't mean it's not hysterical.

The good people at Unreality unearthed this series of movie posters, photoshopped to insert the names and images of your favorite rappers (and Souljah Boy). The photoshopping is decent, but it's titles like "The Fugeetive" and "Wycleffhanger" that made this a must-share.

And we're still ROTFLing at "Girl, Interrupted" starring -- who else? -- Kanye West and Taylor Swift.

Will someone do this for pop stars? "Katy Perry's House of Payne"? "My Fair Lady Gaga"? The possibilities are endless.

But we'll still salute the anonymous fellow or madam who beat us to this. Well played, friend. Well played.

Next Year's Best Picture: 'The President's Speech'?

Jason Newman — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 18:00:25 +0000

ABC

Jimmy Kimmel was clearly hoping for a Oscar win for "The King's Speech." Otherwise his best bit on the all-around winning post-Osars special would'nt have been quite as funny.

Looking forward to next year's Academy Awards, "Jimmy Kimmel Live" enlisted "Sir Michael Tyson" to star in "The President's Speech," a spoof of the night's Best Picture victor highlighting the numerous verbal gaffes made by George W. Bush during his presidency.

Besides the random unicorn painting, our personal highlights are Tyson's apoplectic reactions to Bush's mishandling of words like "Abu Ghraib" and "totalitarian." While this would've been funnier had Bush still been in office, it's proof that it's never too late to take potshots at the verbally challenged former leader.

To quote Tyson: "Worst student in the history of speeching."

Ellen Page Has 88 Questions in 'Inception' (But A Bitch Ain't One)

Jason Newman — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 22:00:27 +0000

Warner Bros.

As Ariadne, the fledgling architect hired to construct the dream sequences in "Inception," Ellen Page understandably had some questions for Leo and his friends about the various mazes, dreams-within-dreams and other tangents of Christopher Nolan's brain.

But it wasn't until watching this video that we realized just how clueless Ariadne is. In 156 seconds, Page is able to rip off an astounding 88 questions about the mechanics of the dreams. Which is, funny enough, still about 20 less than we had.

It's still nice to know we weren't alone during our brief bouts of confusion.

150 Famous Movie Catch Phrases in (Only?) 10 Minutes

Jason Newman — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 23:51:08 +0000

Warner Bros.

A clever catch phrase can transform a film from enjoyable entertainment to eternal classic with just a few well-timed words.

Some of them ("I'll have what she's having " from "When Harry Met Sally," "Hasta la vista, baby," from "T2") are no-brainers, carefully placed at the end of a scene for maximum memory effect. Others, like Dustin Hoffman's classic "I'm walking here!" from "Midnight Cowboy" were wholly improvised, but quickly were added to the cinematic lexicon.

Either way, we suspect you'll recognize most of the catch phrases included in this fine tribute, but it's still fun to look back and spot the lines that etched themselves on our collective consciousness. You can find a full list of the phrases here. Yippee-ki-ay, mother..."