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PopWireNews, Reviews and Commentary from the World of Popular Culture Friday, November 20 2009Adam Goldberg goes avant gardeThe title of Adam Goldberg's new movie is intriguing: "(Untitled)" really doesn't have one. "When I saw that on the script, it got my attention," said the actor from his... Brad Pitt company buys film rights to Airtight Games' 'Dark Void'SEATTLE — Airtight Games' debut video-game title, "Dark Void," doesn't go on sale until January, but it just hit one out of the park. Capcom, which will publish the... Tony Bennett gives back to his old N.Y. neighborhood with arts schoolNEW YORK — Tony Bennett and his wife, Susan, walk through the brand-new halls of the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in the Queens neighborhood of Astoria and still... 'The Exiles' rescued from oblivionThe Exiles" is one of those legendary American independent films that almost nobody has seen. Completed in 1961, it was never released theatrically. I knew about it only...  It's 'Tuesday Night' again for Sheryl CrowST. LOUIS — Rocker Sheryl Crow never banked on her 1993 album "Tuesday Night Music Club" being a game-changing breakthrough. "I really don't know what to expect," Crow...  Oz devotee returns to the land he loves with new Marvel adaptationMarvel Comics is returning to the land of Oz — but this time, Dorothy and Toto are nowhere to be seen. Marvel published a comic book adaptation of "The Wonderful... 'Modern Warfare 2' video game scores record sales in launchCould you take your finger off the trigger for a minute? If you're like millions of other people, you're already deeply engaged in the furious firefight that is "Call of... Tom Arnold is a lovable loser , and open about itSACRAMENTO, Calif. — Tom Arnold is not just a walking contradiction. He's a sitting, standing, walking and talking contradiction. He's an award-winning television... Jazz pianist reflects on his influences in his first piano concertoDETROIT — First novels are often thinly disguised autobiographies, so why should a first piano concerto be any different? Michel Camilo's Piano Concerto No. 1, which...  Wes Anderson meets Roald Dahl in 'Fantastic Mr. Fox'"Quirky." "Eccentric." "Whimsical." Critics trot out the synonyms for "playful" and "odd" when talking about Wes Anderson. A 40-year-old director of wistful character... Libraries turning a page with cafes, chat rooms and flat screensFRESNO, Calif. — At Fresno State's new Henry Madden Library, the whirr of a blender and hum of conversation are the sounds of evolution. Here, visitors eat, drink and... Thursday, November 19 2009IBM announces advances toward a computer that works like a human brainSAN JOSE, Calif. — In an era when PCs perform like supercomputers, and supercomputers carry out inhuman feats of calculation, some of the brightest minds in Silicon Valley say there are still crucial ways in which a computer can't match the problem-solving abilities of our own brains. But Wednesday, at a supercomputing conference in Portland, Ore., a team of scientists from IBM's Almaden... Future bright for Microsoft cloud computing, server president saysThe end shouldn't be the beginning'Port of Call' is Nicolas Cage's most unleashed, and best, work in yearsSandra Bullock stepped up to play her 'Blind Side' character'Modern Warfare 2' video game scores record sales in launchAshley Greene has fashioned a vibrant acting career since 'Twilight'Wednesday, November 18 2009'Monk' role has been a dream job for Traylor HowardHOLLYWOOD — You'd never know by watching the cast and crew of USA's whodunit, "Monk," that its days are sadly numbered. After eight seasons the obsessive-compulsive detective, his ministering assistant and pals at the precinct are heading off into the sunset after Dec. 4. But today on the set at Paramount Studios, they're all in full swing. Executive producer Randy Zisk is directing and... All-out war (games)It's a fact: 'Information' author John Hodgman is funnyWhat makes a good political memoir?'The Blind Side' director says true stories make better filmsNathan Lane embraces an emotional Gomez in 'The Addams Family'Gaga for 'Glee': Gleeks delight in online mimicry of the show's musical numbersSelf-proclaimed 'lazy' author Stephen King releases his 51st novelDoomsday scenario isn't the end of the world, just a part of itTuesday, November 17 2009'Gone With the Wind,' 'Star Trek' remake top latest Blu-ray releasesArguably the most famous motion picture ever made, "Gone With The Wind" (1939), and a rebooting of a science-fiction legend, "Star Trek" (2009), sit atop this week's lineup of titles making their first appearance on the Blu-ray high definition DVD format. "Gone With the Wind 70th Anniversary Ultimate Collector's Edition" (Warner Brothers, $84.99) is another impressive example of Warner's... They're real life vampires, and they are living among usWhen greatest hits go badKors values: Michael Kors talks about Michelle Obama and 'Project Runway'Book club members find echoes of their lives in 'Push''Twilight' co-star Nikki Reed doesn't want her life to be an open bookDevo's whipping it in a big way on entire-album tourMonday, November 16 2009Readers pick the dead celebrities they missDeath doesn't have to be the end. It also can be the beginning ... of a lively conversation. Last week, in the wake of Michael Jackson's posthumous success at the box office, I compiled a list of the 20 dead celebrities who left behind the most unfulfilled promise. The list included actors such as James Dean, Heath Ledger and River Phoenix, as well as singers Otis Redding, Buddy Holly and... Peter Facinelli plays two completely different doctors in 'Nurse Jackie' and 'Twilight'At 70, 'Gone With the Wind' remains great filmmaking but fictitious historyWorld Series mega DVD collection is baseball heaven'The Twilight Saga: New Moon': Love at second biteFriday, November 13 2009Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas speaks out about his solo discMore than three years have passed since New York band the Strokes released their third album, "First Impressions of Earth." Since then, the question has loomed: When, if ever, will they return? The group has given various answers, indicating they had begun recording a fourth disc in January, then later posting a message in July that they would spend the summer working toward an early 2010... Adam Goldberg kicks a bucket as '(Untitled)' artistWhoever decided to update 'The Prisoner' should be locked upDhani Harrison has his own band, as well as a big hand in 'Beatles: Rock Band'10 anticipated movies: Mayhem, a musical and a bit of mirthNew hosts Lopez, Sykes and Mo'Nique boast a new audacity, but is that enough?Thursday, November 12 2009Face it, animators: Give up on your 'realistic' humansLike medieval alchemists struggling to transmute lead into gold, filmmakers seem determined to create a 100 percent believable animated human character. I understand the whole alchemist thing (who couldn't use some cheap gold?), but I have doubts about the value of an animated character indistinguishable from a real, breathing human being. For starters, there's the price tag. You could buy an... Katie Featherston stunned by success of 'Paranormal Activity'Gabourey Sidibe is among precious few weighty actressesWho invented blogging? Answer: Nobody, reallyWednesday, November 11 2009John Irving's 'Last Night in Twisted River' mirrors his careerJohn Irving has always called himself an underdog, and he still talks like one — even at 67, even wildly famous as one of America's great storytellers, even at the release of his 12th novel, certain to be a best-seller. Maybe he feels goaded. A recent review of "Last Night in Twisted River" used such words as tricked-up, gimmicky, cartoony, cheesy and preposterous — all in the first... Kevin Dillon has an idea for dream 'Entourage' cameoBarbara Kingsolver is determined to advocate social change through literatureChildren's book author tries to get into Americans' skullsFast chat with 'Pirate Radio' co-star Bill NighyPaging through … movie-star biographiesComposer Dominick Argento reflects on his work and the state of opera'2012' a teachable moment for Maya culture expertsTalking with Jonathan Safran Foer'Modern Warfare 2' navigates a sea of second-guessersTuesday, November 10 2009CMA Awards to showcase music's hottest (again) genreTaylor Swift has sold more albums than anyone in 2009. Kenny Chesney had the year's biggest concert tour. And Carrie Underwood will make more TV appearances in the next month than Santa Claus. Those household names and the new generation of fans they've attracted have put country music — that twangy, red-headed stepchild — at the center of pop for the first time since the heyday of... David Cook understands the pressure that comes with 'American Idol' titleAlvin York's son and Gary Cooper's daughter to appear together at museum'Monk' role has been a dream job for Traylor HowardPop culture Q&A: Body double plays banjo in 'Deliverance'Family crisis opened Dashboard Confessional singer's eyes to priorities in lifeMonday, November 9 2009Holiday movie guide: Here's something for everyoneFor young to old, funny to serious, our holiday movie guide is stuffed with gifts for all sorts: —For action/adventure junkies More than any other film this holiday season, James Cameron's sci-fi opus "Avatar" (Dec. 18) has a huge buzz. For both good and bad reasons. First, it's a return to the big screen by the man behind the first two "Terminators," "Aliens," "The Abyss" and... Chatting with comic and new talk-show host George LopezDoom boom: Apocalyptic fantasies seem to be all the rage these daysDon't tell a soul? British band's singer can't stop talking about the ReplacementsCouple's book tackles evangelicals' questions on climate changeCelebrity deaths give life to eternal speculationPalin's much-anticipated book inspires, well, copiesDr. Oz on health care, Oprah and an occasional screwdriverHollywood's ingenuity on line for holidays: Few sequels, remakes on tap for Christmas seasonFriday, November 6 2009'Chill' out over the chair, says 'Brothers' star MitchellLOS ANGELES — Daryl "Chill" Mitchell's life changed nine years ago when a motorcycle accident left him paralyzed from the waist down. He uses a wheelchair to get around the set of his new Fox comedy "Brothers." As far as Mitchell is concerned, that's the only thing that's different about his life. He doesn't want to be defined by the chair — especially when it comes to acting. "I... Craig Ferguson's autobiography is a testimony to America's eternal appeal to immigrants'Dawn' of the new millennium: High-profile remake of a 1980s cult favoriteChicago band The Academy Is … shakes up its sound once againJeff Bridges abides, and works like crazy'Unmistaken Child' a must-see documentarySit down and shut up: Don Rickles is in the houseRoland Emmerich's latest big-budget doomsday extravaganza is his 'darkest film' to dateIn concert, Jewel remains a diamond in the roughHit repeat with Steely Dan and 'Aja'Lily Tomlin has had an extraordinary career being ordinaryFilm changes student's course: 'Precious' star pursuing actingThursday, November 5 2009Richard Kelly hopes to push moviegoers' buttons with 'The Box'Filmmaker Richard Kelly's initial encounter with Richard Matheson's fiendish little short story "Button, Button" — about a cash-strapped couple offered a million dollars to push a button on a box that will instantly cause someone they don't know to drop dead — came not on the page, but on TV. "As a bunch of attorneys have informed me, I am not allowed to exploit the name of a certain... Season finale of 'Mad Men,' Sunday on AMC'Goats' director Heslov and star George Clooney go way backIt's a 'Wonderful World' for Matthew Broderick |
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