Access Blogs
I just saw 'It.' And 'It' was sad and amazing.
The film makes you feel like what Michael set out to do in London was really important and, I'll add, overdue.
Let's be honest, there were more than enough occasions in the post-2003 MJ era that we could have used some real doses of his harmless nature, masterful talent and love of the process and its people.
Just one week until Halloween and I'm sure most of us haven't gotten together our costumes yet. Well, your resident TV expert is here to help. I have scoured the channels up and down from reality TV to dramas and sitcoms to find the ten best TV-themed Halloween costumes of 2009. Happy haunting.
Its a tie for No. 10 as it's all about the suit for this spiffy Halloween look. For Barney you'll be the most legendary person at the party and all you need to do is 'suit-up' to play the "How I Met Your Mother" womanizer. For Don just look for a vintage 1960s suit and slick some dark hair back to play the suave "Mad Men" ad man. Some scotch in a glass and a lit cigarette complete the look. Just don't take a puff because unlike the ' 60s, we now know smoking is bad for you!
Sure "The Real Housewives Of Atlanta's" Nene is a trip and fun to watch but Kim's signature looks screams Halloween. Just grab a Barbie doll blonde wig, some trashy looking (but designer, of course) duds and a huge fake diamond for your ring finger to show everyone how you are now engaged to Big Poppa. Walk around all night singing "Don't Be Tardy For The Party" and getting into cat fights and you are officially a Real Housewife!
#8 Adam Lambert
The "American Idol" runner-up's signature look has Halloween written all over it from the jet black dark hair to the guyliner. Throw a streak of blue in the hair, find your best sexy rock and roll duds, add some KISS style boots and you're all set.
Well, you need only to have been at the Greek Theater in LA on Saturday night to know that vampires are Hollywood's hottest commodity. The Spike TV "Scream 2009" awards brought together bloodsuckers and mortals from every hot vamp property in one venue. Various cast members from CW's "The Vampire Diaries", HBO's "True Blood" and the highly anticipated "The Twilight Saga: New Moon," as well as the upcoming "Vampire Assistant," all came together for one night to celebrate all things horror, sci-fi, fantasy and comic book. Let me tell you it was a bloody good time!
This was my first time ever covering the Scream Awards and it was certainly an experience. When I arrived to the Greek Theater it was like Halloween had come early. Fans were lined up waiting to head into their seats dressed in the most elaborate costumes I've seen since Comic Con - everything from sexy vampires to undead pirates and mutilated corpses.
The celebrities on the red carpet of course kept it more tame in typical designer duds (while I tried rocking a faux leather, spiked mini). Stars from all the good gory shows, as well as other fan boy favorites were on hand. Julie Benz from "Dexter" was the first to arrive. Both she and her co-star Jennifer Carpenter informed me that the season finale is going to be unbelievable, and according to Jennifer, "will change Dexter forever." The script was missing the last five pages and Jennifer was so curious to see what was going to happen, that she headed down to the set to watch even though she wasn't in the scene. You'll have to wait until December though for it.
"Hot Dork" - remember that term. I'm going to take credit for coining it to best describe Jake Pavelka, who has officially been chosen as ABC's new "Bachelor." I'm not sure what it is about this guy that rubs me the wrong way. Oh wait. Yes I do. He's got Eddie Haskell syndrome -- a phrase my brothers used to describe my boyfriend the year I graduated college.
Remember how on "Leave It To Beaver" every time that troublemaker Eddie would come over to the Cleavers' house, he would totally kiss a** to Ward and June and make it look like he was mister goody two shoes. "Golly gee Mrs. Cleaver, you look quite lovely today and those cookies you are baking sure do smell delicious."
I don't know if that was actual dialogue from the show, but that's about how it went. Jake is the goody two shoes without the trouble. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that he was a quiet, shy dorky kid in high school who never got the girl. Then all of sudden, he woke up in his late twenties and turned out to be a pretty good looking dude. Unfortunately, it was too late to morph out of the dorky guy he always was and into a confident, suave player. OK, OK, I know someone is reading this and thinking how mean it sounds. I'd bet my favorite pair of Manolo Blahniks I'm right on the money though... hence why I will forever refer to Jake as a "Hot Dork." This is not to be confused with a "Hot Nerd," a much better breed of hot guy.
Every Monday gets better and better!
I'm feeling so much more at home on this big stage, with this big band and with these fancy costumes.
This week I am a lucky girl and get to dance the good old-fashioned Charleston for all to see! I have always dreamt of being a flapper in the Roaring '20s and today I get to play that part. Our dance is fast and furious but so fun and silly that it totally suits my personality.
As for a little behind the scenes dirt, I have made an interesting observation about all the cast members involved in the show. Most often when you get a group of celebs, people that have had great success in a certain area of the arts, you have huge talent mixed with huge egos. But when people come together in an unfamiliar setting such as dancing (or even when I have done celebrity car races) they drop the ego and look for support and friendships. Celebrities are accustomed to being babied and spoiled but that's not the case here on "DWTS." Even though everyone here is competitive, I feel it is friendly and fun competition, not aggressive and hateful...
Today I learned my lesson in 'Don't sit on a good idea' - courtesy of Donald Trump. You see, about a year ago, a couple of months after I had broken up with my last boyfriend, I was talking to young Billy Bush here about how I wanted to do a dating reality show. I said to him, "Maybe I should enlist the help of Donald Trump?" Trump has had some luck in reality TV finding good employees with "The Apprentice" so maybe he would have some luck finding me a good man. Perhaps I could pitch him a reality show where I use his money and influence to find my future husband? I recall Billy thinking it was a pretty good idea, but after I walked away from him I did nothing. I sat on the idea and went on with my life. Well, this morning (as I sit here still single) I was perusing the reality casting sites and find this casting notice looking for bachelors 21 and over.
'THE ULTIMATE MERGER'
'THE ULTIMATE MERGER' Donald Trump Productions (NBC's The Apprentice) and Juma Entertainment (ABC's The Superstars) are casting a new reality dating show, The Ultimate Merger, in which Donald Trump takes on the role of matchmaker to help a well known bachelorette achieve the "ultimate merger," a successful relationship. Donald Trump, prod. Bachelors will stay at Trump International Hotel and Tower in Las Vegas for the filming.
I love when cute boys come visit me in the Access Hollywood offices - especially when I'm feeling under the weather! This morning "Glee's" Cory Monteith, who plays jock-turned-lead-male-glee-club-singer Finn, cheered me up by swinging by for a chat after he hit Billy Bush's radio show studio.
"Glee" is the first of this fall's crop of new shows to get a full season pick-up but they won't go back into production until January as they have already finished shooting the first 13 episodes. So, the cast has some time on their hands, which is how I got so lucky to have a visit from Cory.
Rather than chat about a show he's not currently taping I decided to put his skills to the test and see if he has learned anything about his co-stars while filming and promoting the show. Take the quiz along with Cory and then watch the interview to see if you knew the answers. Good luck!
THE CORY MONTEITH "HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW YOUR 'GLEE' CO-STARS" QUIZ:
1. WHAT HIGH SCHOOL DID CHRIS COLFER ATTEND?
By Melissa Joan HartHere we are again, in the glam trailer getting beautified. Today being Latin day at DWTS, the spray tans and big hair are intense. The atmosphere here seems more playful and I think there are numerous reasons for that. We are forming friendships, which makes it nicer to be here, especially since we are all away from family and friends for long hours at a time, and it has given us a common ground to form a bond.
The nerves have turned to excitement, as we grow more comfy on the dance floor and with our abilities. I can't help but think that with all the fatigue we are all experiencing, it helps you relax and be a bit more carefree.
Don't get me wrong, I am still terrified to stand in my opening pose and hear the scary announcer call out my name! My heart pounds like crazy when I even just imagine walking out on that stage. It's a fine balance of feeling strong and respecting the dance floor all while relaxing and enjoying every moment.
Tonight I dance the Samba and will shake my hips in ways no camera has ever caught before! Acting sexy is not something I'm comfortable showing so it's going to be more of an acting lesson for me tonight than dancing. My hips will move if I can relax and for once take myself seriously and channel my inner sex goddess!
I was disappointed to hear that George Clooney's upcoming film, "Up in the Air," was moved back from November 13 to December 4. The release date was changed so that it wouldn't conflict with Clooney's other film, "The Men Who Stare at Goats" - a quirky military satire that Clooney also produced (Overture Films is releasing it on November 6).But I was sad because it means that moviegoers will have to wait a little longer to see it. No question that it will be worth the wait, because it's a terrific film that, mark my words, will win the Oscar for Best Picture. A bold statement to be sure, but one that I stand by 100%. Here's why...
...The third film directed by Jason Reitman is a quantum leap of maturity over his previous efforts, 2005's well-crafted "Thank You for Smoking" and 2007's excellent "Juno." Clooney plays a jet-setting executive who travels around the country to fire people from corporations whose CEOs are too scared to do it themselves. It's a powerful, profound and very funny movie, and Clooney - a Best Supporting Actor Oscar-winner for 2005's "Syrianna" - has never been better.
Barring any unforeseen cinematic masterpieces that may be unleashed in November or December (which is when the real Oscar contenders usually come out), I think the Oscar race basically comes down to three movies: "The Hurt Locker," "Precious" and "Up in the Air."
"The Hurt Locker" is the first Iraq War movie to break through to the masses after a number of box office failures failed to connect with moviegoers - like "Stop-Loss," "The Lucky Ones," "In the Valley of Elah" and "Lions for Lambs," just to name a few. But "The Hurt Locker" isn't just a great Iraq War movie; it's a great movie period - a visceral and exceptionally well-directed movie that captures the perils of combat better than any film since 1987's "Platoon."
By Melissa Joan HartSore is the best way to describe this week so far.
The week started out great with what I thought was a great jive, but after the judges deflated my bubble with low scores I felt defeated. The only time in my life that I've ever been under pressure and had to be scored immediately afterward was probably on state exams and I used to ace those. So this is all new and alien to me.
It's so exciting to take the floor and deliver what feels like a flawless performance and then have to take that long walk to the judges' table only to be criticized. But that's what I signed on for, right?
This next week is going to be interesting in a whole new way. While the jive was fast and furious and the audience got to see the all-American girl in me, this week I have to become a sultry, sexy Brazilian with hips that can turn on a dime. That is a side I haven't often shared with the public; a few sassy magazine photos aside. But still shots are a far cry from moving ones!