The Tangent

By Robert Levin
Special to amNewYork

The Russian & Turkish Baths (RJ MIckelson/AMNY)

Unless you really love winter, the months of January and February are the bleakest on the calendar. The holidays have ended, spring is still far off and bitter cold greets anyone brave enough to step outside.

Fortunately, these NYC spots have come up with ways to cheer you up — taking your mind off the freezing weather with reminders of warmer, happier days.

New York Aquarium
502 Surf Ave. at W. Fifth St., Coney Island, 718-265-FISH
Adults $13, seniors $10, children (3 to 12) $9, groups (reserved two weeks in advance) $6, children under 2 and members FREE.
The diverse collection of marine life on display at the New York Aquarium offers the perfect opportunity to pretend you’re taking a walk on the beach or snorkeling somewhere in the Caribbean.

Russian & Turkish Baths
268 E. 10th St., btwn Ave. A and First Ave., 212-473-8806,
$30 for one-day admission pass.
A classic communal bathhouse experience, this East Village institution (around since 1892) boasts a Russian sauna, a redwood sauna, a Turkish room and an Aromatherapy room. It offers a great opportunity to escape the cold in a unique environment.

By Emily Hulme
• ‘The Third Mind’ is at the Guggenheim through April 19.

"The Letter," Mary Cassatt, 1890-91

One could probably spend at least half a day taking in “The Third Mind: American Artists Contemplate Asia, 1860-1989” at the Guggenheim.

The exhibit is a historical survey of American art, highlighting the Asian influence within. It’s a big theme applied to a wide-swath of history, and it brings together artists as diverse as Alfred Stieglitz, James Whistler, Yoko Ono, Robert Rauschenberg and Laurie Anderson.

By Emily Hulme

I'm kind of baffled as to why this is actually a movie, and further still, why all these famous people are in it. It sounds like a nightmare of a film. But this trailer is pretty funny.

Justin Long, Bradley Cooper, and Kevin Connolly present ten chick flick cliches that are not in "He's Just Not That Into You."

But as funny as this is, I'm just not that into this movie. Sorry guys. I'm saving myself for Seth Rogen's mall cop movie (yeah, that's right; Paul Blart is not the only enforcer in town).

By Julie Gordon

It seems like everyone is jumping on the reality television bandwagon these days — even Hollywood’s biggest names.

Celebrities including Sarah Jessica Parker, Susan Sarandon and Lisa Kudrow are slated to star in a television series this spring where they will uncover their family trees.

NBC’s “Who Do You Think You Are?” is based on a British documentary series. It premieres April 20 at 8 p.m.

“This show personalizes history and turns it into a gripping narrative,” said Kudrow, also the show’s executive producer. “The most striking thing about the show is the realization of how connected we all are.”

By Emily Hulme

I had never heard of this show before, because who watches CurrentTV? But this Sarah Haskins is pretty funny. You can watch more of her here.

This one on why women love vampires is pretty funny.

But, anyway, my point here is that Current is airing a marathon of "Target Women" on Sunday so if grown men giving each other brain damage isn't what you're into, you can watch this instead.

If you missed season one, here's a four minute summation.

By Emily Hulme

Roger Ebert, over at his blog, has an extraordinary account of a fist fight between Jeff "The Dude" Dowd (said to be the inspiration for the Coen Brother's "Big Lebowski") and Variety film critic John Anderson at Sundance. The fight is allegedly/apparently over a negative review Anderson was going to give to a pet film of Dowd's "Dirt! The Movie."

Ebert heard the tale from Dowd himself, and interpolates the story with his own imagining of what Anderson might say. It's all around interesting and bizarre. It also includes the line: "Should the Dude say f--- it and just go bowling or should I not let this intellectual aggression stand and try to re-engage John?"

It's a fascinating story, you should read it. As Ebert says in his summation: "Only at Sundance do people fight about ecological documentaries that reach into the vastness of time and space."

Here's Dowd explaining the fight and the movie that it was over.

Also, Variety wrote up the incident, with not-imaginary quotes from Anderson (who was taken off the review assignment).

By Emily Hulme

(If you know Hick's work, you already know this language is NSFW.)

A 1993 set by beloved comedian Bill Hicks that was censored on Letterman (which is not the video above) is finally going to be aired on Friday. The Comic's Comic has more.

Scott Herman of "The Real World: Brooklyn," center, stars in Baskit Underwear's spring campaign.

By Julie Gordon

It only took a short time living in New York for "The Real World: Brooklyn's" Scott Herman to drop his drawers.

New Hampshire native Scott, 23, — whose abs were actually named the best in the East Coast by Men's Health magazine — is the new face (and, er, body) of Baskit Underwear's "Pure" organic cotton line.

The underwear, $21 to $24.99, is available starting Feb. 3 in jock, bikini brief, low-rise trunk and boxer style.

By Julie Gordon

Ashlee Simpson-Wentz is “completely disgusted” by the fuss being made over her older sister Jessica’s weight gain — and she’s letting the world know her feelings.

“A week after the inauguration and with such a feeling of hope in the air for our country, I find it completely embarrassing and belittling to all women to read about a woman’s weight or figure as a headline on Fox News,” Ashlee wrote on her blog.

Jessica became the object of ridicule earlier this week after making a public appearance looking much heavier than she has in the past.

As a side note, Ashlee was in amazing shape when we saw her on New Year’s Eve at Las Vegas club Pure — about a month after giving birth to son Bronx. She credited a personal trainer, while her hubby Pete Wentz said chasing a baby around the house is enough to make anyone drop pounds. Super baby?!

In what might be the best all-Neil event ever (except for the mythical Neil Young/Neil Diamond concert I dream about every night. Neil Halstead opens for them. It's a great show, check it out if you can), Neil Jordan has signed on to write and direct the film adaptation of Neil Gaiman's "Graveyard Book." Read more about it here.

This is on the heels of Gaiman winning the Newberry Medal for "Graveyard Book." It is a good week to be Neil Gaiman.

By Emily Hulme

As someone with a pretty hefty birthday coming up, I appreciate Oswalt's attitude here: "I’m turning 40. I can’t wait to be 60. And 70. I think when I turn 50 I’ll wear the same suit every day and look like a cool demonologist with my grey hair. Maybe I should get a swordcane. A 20-something couldn’t pull that off."

Not being 22 isn't a bad thing. It's refreshing to hear someone in show business say that. You can get more perspective on his blog (scroll down to Jan. 20).

And here, just because I like it, is Oswalt on KFC's "sadness bowl."

By Emily Hulme

Apparently, Mike White is going to be on "Amazing Race" with his father this go-round.

Watch CBS Videos Online

Recognize that hang-dog mug? He was the roommate in "School of Rock" (also, he wrote it), and generally an indie film hero ("Chuck & Buck," "Freaks & Geeks," "The Good Girl" -- which is also a good movie to pull up if you ever need to defend Jennifer Aniston's acting skills, if that's a thing you ever need to do).

It almost makes me want to watch. But I already have "Lost," "Gossip Girl" and "Top Model" (which returns March 4th-ish). I don't know if I have room in my life for another show.

By Emily Hulme

Flight of the Conchords and HBO are holding a poster contest. You can find the tools you need and an entry form here.

This is how mine turned out:

I am not entering it in the contest, because I feel it would be unfair to all of the other contestants to have to combat my design skills. You're welcome.

Here's the latest FoC single from this week's episode, which I haven't seen yet but I've heard is more on task than the premiere. "Sugalumps" doesn't beat anything from last season, but it's still pretty funny.

By Emily Hulme

So we got right back into it last week, with some exciting developments. The time travel stuff kind of hurt my head, so I'm just vowing not to think about it too much and let the show do its thing.

My one complaint, about the first hour especially, was that it was a little disjointed and we didn't get to stay with any one story for a satisfying amount of time. But we settled down by the second hour, and I am happy to report we're totally back in the groove by this week's episode.

If you want to revel in the mythology while you wait for Wednesday to roll around, check out these links.

• NY Mag has a great recap that breaks down the eps as they unfold, pointing out key details you may or may not have caught.

• Of course Television Without Pity has the most detailed recaps you'll ever read anywhere. Because of this, though, you'll have to wait for the full version. Eps 5.01 and 5.02 are still only in recaplet form as of today.

• Blogger Alan Sepinwall has a great interview with producer Damon Lindelof about the series as a whole, and how much they plan on the fly versus what has been known to the writers/producers from the begining. The following two questions contradict information I have read in the past, so you can see this principle in action:

The four-toed foot?
You will see it again.

Why Libby was in the hospital with Hurley?
Hopefully[we'll resolve this], but [it's] contingent on factors beyond our control

• And just so we don't take ourselves too seriously, The "Lost" Drinking Game.

By Emily Hulme

Now's your chance to be on "Jeopardy," maybe. They're holding online eligibility tests tomorrow night at 8pm. Register here, and tell me how it goes.

By Emily Hulme

Predictably, after the gauntlet had been thrown, the citizens of the internet responded to Stephen Colbert's anti-call to remix his interview with Lawrence Lessig with some kick-ass beats. Colbert aired his favorite, with a video, last week.

He also added to the challenge — remix what has come before with excerpts from his audio book. Upload the results here, and watch others here.

Already there are ReRemixes up.

By Scott Rosenberg

• "Hulk Vs." is available on DVD in a single disc and two-disc versions, as well as on blu-ray. It is rated PG-13.

For a long time, Marvel Comics owned the comic book feature film, with “Spider-Man” and “X-Men,” and later on, “Iron Man” and “Hulk.” Their competitor, DC Comics, jumped into the fray with “Batman Begins” and it’s cash cow sequel “Dark Knight.”

By Scott A. Rosenberg

What could Neil deGrasse Tyson, an astrophysicist with the American Museum of Natural History and director of the Hayden Planetarium, have done to garner hate letters from countless elementary school children?

He was the head of the committee that demoted that far-out ice ball in the outer solar system, Pluto, from its status as a planet.

Pluto is now considered a dwarf planet (which is not considered a type of planet) and part of the Kuiper Belt, which is similar to an asteroid belt.

Recently, Tyson took what he knew about Pluto and turned it into a new book, “The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of America’s Favorite Planet.”

By Robert Levin
Special to amNewYork

Everyone says the documentary competition is really the heart of Sundance, the annual source of much of its highest quality fare. “When You’re Strange,” a remarkable new film about The Doors from Tom DiCillo, validates those sentiments.

The most valuable insight to be taken from the movie is this one: the band could not have existed during any period but the late 1960s and early 1970s, when they exploded on the scene and quickly disappeared off it after Jim Morrison’s extended downward spiral culminated in his death. DiCillo’s film uses entirely unseen period footage of the foursome to depict the darker, stranger impulses at the core of their genius. With breakneck, feverish narration in which every event, gesture and emotion is explained, DiCillo reveals a band interested in the deepest, most haunting recesses of the soul, tailor made for an America desperately searching for its own.

By Robert Levin
Special to amNewYork

The Sundance programmers, each of whom introduces each publically screened film as if it’s the greatest ever made, seem to really, really like stories of complex, strange men and the people who love them. I’ve already told you about “Adam,” a movie to watch for in 2009, and in this update I’ll focus on two more quality movies that follow the same template.

Jeff Daniels, a tremendously under-appreciated actor, gets one of his best roles as the lead in “Arlen Faber,” a quirky romantic comedy from first time writer/director John Hindman. His character lives a profoundly contradictory life. Professionally, he’s the author of a spiritual tome called “Me and God” that’s so popular and widely read it has inspired academic treatises and best selling interpretations. Personally, he’s a mess, living a curmudgeonly, anonymous existence. The movie tells the story of his maturation, as he opens up to the possibilities of romance, the value of human connections and the fact that it’s okay to not have all the answers. Hindman gives Daniels a host of great moments, stretching from scenes of deadpan slapstick to quiet emotional feeling. He and co-star/love interest Lauren Graham carry the film and their relationship develops in a wholly unexpected fashion, as any between an unhappy guru and a single mom probably should.

Spike Lee (Getty)

By Robert Levin
Special to amNewYork

As I write this update I’m headed back to New York after five and a half whirlwind days in Park City, sitting on a US Airways flight and hoping we don’t end up in a river somewhere. It’s been a thoroughly exhausting but terrific experience; I’ve truly enjoyed hobnobbing with other journalists, industry employees and actors before and after screenings, talking to the latter about their work, getting lost on shuttles with them and nearly slipping on the black ice that cakes so many of the town’s sidewalks. I say that with only the slightest hint of sarcasm. Still, though I might no longer be there, I still have another 17 movies to report on, so the reviews and other tidbits roll on.

The Honey Brothers, from left to right: Andrew Vladeck, Daniel Posner, Ethan Gold, Ari Gold, Adrian Grenier

By Julie Gordon

“Entourage” star Adrian Grenier doesn’t care if people only see his band play so they can catch a glimpse of him banging away on the drums. In fact, he sees it as a challenge.

“It’s our mission to find ‘Entourage’ fans and convert them to music lovers,” says Grenier, who has been a member of the New York-based Honey Brothers since 2002. “People often come expecting to get a couple pictures of the drummer, and they end up dancing their asses off, sweating and staying out until the wee hours of the morning.”

Grenier joined the Honey Brothers about two years before his HBO gig rocketed him to fame, so he knows “the brothers actually like me as a brother.”

“It’s not a vanity project. We’re just sharing our music,” he says. “Well, when I said it wasn’t a vanity project, I meant for me. The other guys in the band, however, you should see them primping before a show.”

"Black Dynamite"

By Robert Levin
Special to amNewYork

Sales, the reason most of the movies are in Park City to begin with, have begun happening as Sundance moves into its sixth day. “Brooklyn’s Finest,” which I reviewed very favorably in my previous post, has been bought by new company Senator Entertainment. Magnolia will take a stab at “Humpday” and Sony Pictures nabbed “Black Dynamite,” which I’ll review in a later update. I know this isn’t as exciting as, say, Barack Obama’s inauguration, but up here in Utah it’s the only game in town. On to the reviews:

By Emily Hulme

An MTV reporter cajoles Michael Cera into talking about the "Arrested Development" movie, which he clearly does not want to do. Cera doesn't say that he's in or out, only that the movie is "more hypothetical than people think."

By Emily Hulme

I've been cautiously excited about John Krasinski's film adaptation of David Foster Wallace's "Brief Interviews with Hideous Men" ever since I heard of it, oh, four or five years ago. It's a project Krasinski has been working on since way before he became Jim from "The Office," and I am a big fan of both men.

LA Times blog The Envelope has the above video and talks with Krasinski about the movie here. I'm not quite sure how I feel about it. Some of the power of DFW's men are how completely and inhumanly horrible they are. Seeing an actual, sympathetic person in that role distracts from the wonderfully precise and wicked words that he's saying. Also, it's distracting that the girls don't react even though it's clear they're being dumped.

But, then again, it's a minute-long clip. Maybe it makes more sense in context. And how jealous am I that Krasinski had the following exchange with DFW?

"He said, 'What's it scripted around?' " [Krasinski] remembers. "I said, 'A woman doing her dissertation around feminism looking into the role of the modern man in the post-feminist era.' There was a silence. And he said, 'I never figured out how to do that, how to make them all relate together. That sounds awesome.' It was probably one of the greatest days of my life!"

Although, on the other hand, the artistic choice of having them unrelated makes them more insidiously everyman...

Krasinski, I'm watching you. Also, don't mess things up with Pam.

By Scott A. Rosenberg

• “Food Detectives” airs on Food Network Tuesday at 9 p.m., with “Chopped” following it at 10 p.m.

Octopus, duck and animal crackers.

Tofu, blueberries and oysters.

Avocado, tahini and bran flakes.

With lists of ingredients that could just as easily be for a “Fear Factor” cooking episode, “Chopped,” the new Food Network show, quickly separates itself from other cooking competition programs.

The show is hosted by Ted Allen, who rose to fame on “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” before going to Food Network, where he was a recurring judge on “Iron Chef America” and the star of “Food Detectives.”

By Emily Hulme

The frightful weather outside makes tonight a perfect night to stay in and watch "Gossip Girl" (this way you won't overtax your brain for the momentous events of tomorrow), and this one looks like a good one. As enthralled as I was by the Chuck Bass debacle, it's nice to see them getting back to real issues that real high school kids have, i.e., getting into college.

Also, I appreciate the fact that Dan and Serena finally explicitly state that just because Rufus and Lily had a child together does not mean that Dan and Serena are related at all, in any way. Because they are not.

More preview clips here.

By Emily Hulme

I love Demetri Maritin and I can't wait for this. Though that parking debacle probably could have been avoided if either of the parties had seen this episode of "Seinfeld."

By Emily Hulme

February is the 150th anniversary of the publication of Charles Darwin's "On the Origin of the Species." The landmark text is the foundation of modern biology, and a notoriously dense and difficult read, so I am reading "The Rough Guide to Evolution" by Mark Pallen instead (which, look for my interview with Pallen sometime next month).

But this brave soul is attacking the original text and blogging about it. Blogger John Whitfield has got a PhD in evolutionary biology and a real writer's grasp of language, and he uses both to examine Darwin's writings on many levels. It's really interesting and I highly recommend it. It may even inspire you to pick up Darwin's book yourself. Or at least a book about Darwin's book.

By Robert Levin
Special to amNewYork

Today at Sundance I saw a surprisingly diverse roster of films, mercifully bereft of quirky dysfunctional family comedy-dramas. I spent some time on Main Street, but not enough to be abused by any more celebrities. Fortunately, the movies I’ve seen have largely been a high quality bunch.

Director Antoine Fuqua on the streets of Park City (Getty)

The first film to sell at the festival, Antoine Fuqua’s “Brooklyn’s Finest” is a skillfully crafted, gritty cop drama that transcends the genre by refusing to submit to its usual simplistic conceits. There are no rogue anti-heroes and none of the usual buddy-buddy posturing between the men in blue. What results instead is a powerful, perceptive exploration of the moral dilemmas faced by individuals handed a gun, a badge and a lousy paycheck and asked to risk their lives for the rest of us. Fuqua, working from a screenplay by first timer Michael C. Martin (a former MTA employee), expertly develops three distinct storylines, featuring Richard Gere, Ethan Hawke and Don Cheadle, before weaving them together for a climactic tragedy of Grecian proportions.

By Emily Hulme

OK, I realize I've been doing a lot of bulleted posts lately, but the news has just been coming fast and furious. So here's one more.

• Amy Ryan is coming back to "The Office." I loved her character arc, and it was nice to see Michael in a relationship that you could believe would actually happen in real life. (Not that Jan wasn't entertaining, just a little out there.)

• Laura Prepon is making a guest appearance on "How I Met Your Mother." This is a casting choice that seems much more appropriate than this one. I always liked her on "That '70s Show."

• They're making an American, live-action remake of "Cowboy Bebop." Keanu Reeves is signed on to play the lead.

• Roland Emmerich is set to direct the adaptation of Isaac Asimov's "Foundation" series.

By Emily Hulme

Are you ready for season 5? It starts Wednesday!

Doc Jensen over at EW has a great primer to get you up to speed, including episodes to watch to refresh your memory and a tantalizing new theory on what exactly Claire means when she says "Don't you dare bring him back."

AHHHHH! I can't wait!

Also, I can't bring myself to watch, because I'm trying to go in as unspoiled as possible, but this guy allegedly has a bunch of clips from the first and second episodes.

By Robert Levin
Special to amNewYork

If you see this girl coming, get out of her way. (Getty)

Hello from a surprisingly temperate Park City, nestled high above sea level in Utah’s Wasatch Range, where the Sundance Film Festival is now in full swing. When not being shoved out of Paris Hilton’s way by guards at the MySpace Café on Main Street, navigating through the (slightly reduced) throngs of festival goers or learning the crucial shuttle system, I’ve seen a lot of movies since I arrived late Thursday. The plan is to use these daily blog updates to fill you in with mini-reviews of what I’ve been watching and as many entertaining tidbits about the Sundance experience as possible.

Sam Rockwell faces an enormous acting challenge in “Moon,” an existential science-fiction drama from Duncan Jones (David Bowie’s son). He plays Sam Bell, a futuristic astronaut left alone at a lunar base to mine the moon of clean energy. Remarkably, aside from the occasional flashback, there’s not a single other character in the movie until another Sam Bell (also played by the star) shows up. Rockwell admirably excels at the burdensome task of playing against himself, giving one of his most heartfelt performances. He gives the film the human feeling it needs to complement the filmmaker’s provocatively topical agenda.

By Emily Hulme

I'm about to bust out of here for the weekend, and I had all these things I wanted to post today, but I just didn't have the time. So ... the return of the bulleted list!

• Gossip Girl spinoff.

• Seth Rogen on the Simpsons.

• Free Department of Eagles track.

• Pavement might reunite!

• National write an album month.

• Non-spoiler Q&A with Lost producers.

By Emily Hulme

• “Year of Fashion” part one is at ICP through May 3. Featuring “Edward Steichen: In High Fashion, The Condé Nast Years, 1923-1937,” “Weird Beauty: Fashion Photography Now,” “This is Not a Fashion Photograph” and “Munkacsi’s Lost Archive.”

Martin Munkacsi, "Tibor von Halmay and Vera Mahlke", ca. 1931

Flip through any style magazine, and you’ll see that contemporary fashion photography is about more than just the clothes.

Featuring stylized posing and deliberately contrived situations — chasing that “ugly-pretty,” as Tyra Banks says — these photos are as much about storytelling as selling clothes and accessories.

At least that’s the thesis of “Weird Beauty: Fashion Photography Now,” at the International Center of Photography.

The exhibit, which kicks off the “Year of Fashion” at ICP, examines the overlooked craft of fashion photography from both a historical and modern perspective.
Curator Vince Aletti makes the argument that fashion magazines possess “an incredible wealth of material that is very accessible to the public,” but don’t enjoy the attention that journalistic and artistic photography do.

By Julie Gordon

At this point, if you don’t already have plans, visiting D.C. for Barack Obama’s inauguration is out of the question. Not to worry. Plenty of New York organizations are throwing inaugural balls, parties and events on Tuesday.

Brooklyn Inaugural Ball
Tuesday, 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.
The Bell House, 149 Seventh St., btwn Second and Third aves., Gowanus
Buy tickets: TicketWeb.com
$75
Help the community while you show your support for Obama. Proceeds from the Brooklyn Inaugural Ball benefit PS 261, a magnet school for the arts in Boerum Hill. The evening will feature a re-broadcast of Obama’s speech, wine, food, a show from spoken-word artist Karen Gibson Roc and live music.

White House Project Brunch and Watch Party
Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Caroline’s on Broadway, 1626 Broadway, btwn 49th and 50th sts.
RSVP: 212-261-4752 or kford@thewhitehouseproject.org
Donations accepted
Sure, Hillary Clinton didn’t win the Democratic presidential nomination, but her supporters will appreciate this Inauguration Day brunch and watch party held by nonprofit The White House Project, which seeks to train 36,000 women to run for office by 2013. The event, hosted by “Daily Show” creator Lizz Winstead, includes food and mimosas.

The cover to "Youngblood" No. 8 drawn by Rob Liefeld

Another day, another comic book appearance by comic book fan Barack Obama.

Barack Obama's appearance in the latest issue of Marvel Comics' "Amazing Spider-Man" sold out really quickly across the nation, with most copies gone within hours of going on sale on Wednesday. Midtown Comics' Times Square store reported having people lining up down the block, braving the cold weather to get a copy of the issue with the Obama variant copy, which was sold out by about 4:30 p.m.

By Emily Hulme

Believe it or not, there are people in this day and age who have not seen "Star Wars" (I'm talking original trilogy, none of this "Attack of the Anakins" crap). In fact, it was just a few days ago that I found out my friend Adam has never watched any of the movies, because he's "not into sci fi." Leaving aside the ridiculousness of that statement, I found the answer for him and everyone else who doesn't feel compelled to sit down for six plus hours. This girl, who's only seen bits and pieces of the three films, explains what happens.

Star Wars: Retold (by someone who hasn't seen it) from Joe Nicolosi on Vimeo

For those of you who have seen the "Star Wars," it's hilarious. My favorite part is, "They go to the bar planet and Princess Leia's there, in her golden suit ..."

By Emily Hulme

More positive news on the "AD" movie front. " 'For once and for all, the Arrested Development movie is happening!' Will Arnett tells [E! online's Watch with Kristen] today." Hooray.

Michael Cera is still a holdout, but it sounds like they're going forward. There's been a lot of speculation on the plot, guesses include some sort of prequel, but now producer Mitch Hurwitz is saying it'll be " 'Valkyrie' meets 'Hotel for Dogs.' " Can't wait. I'd watch Hurwitz direct paint drying.

Notorious
2 stars
Directed by George Tillman Jr.
Starring Jamal Woolard, Angela Bassett, Derek Luke, Antonique Smith, Naturi Naughton, Anthony Mackie

By Mina Hochberg
amNewYork movie critic

“Notorious,” a skimpy biopic about late rapper Notorious B.I.G., is too skin-deep to leave much of an impression, but it does offer a wallop of nostalgia.

Shot with an energy that ranges from jumpy to flamboyant, “Notorious” traces the famously huge rapper’s life from Brooklyn mama’s boy to corner drug dealer to filthy-rich rapper representing the East Coast in the “East Coast-West Coast” rivalry of the ’90s.

If you’re a fan of Notorious B.I.G., aka Biggie Smalls, you’ll probably get some kicks out of seeing his life brought to the big screen. If you couldn’t care less about Biggie, Tupac or Puff Daddy, then some of the details of Biggie’s soap operattas may be lost on you.

By Julie Gordon

Washington is becoming Tinseltown this week as the biggest Hollywood stars flock to the nation's capital to celebrate Barack Obama's inauguration. Here's how they'll be partying it up.

• The hottest names in music are converging for a free public concert at the National Mall Sunday afternoon: Beyonce, Bruce Springsteen, U2, Usher, Garth Brooks and John Mellencamp, among others. Denzel Washington, Jamie Foxx, Queen Latifah and Martin Luther King III will speak. HBO is broadcasting the event at 7 p.m.

• A few of the above acts (Beyonce, Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige) and others are headling the first-ever Neighborhood Ball at the Washington Convention Center. ABC is broadcasting.

Tuesday's seven official inaugural balls will have a variety of acts. Common, Jack Johnson and the Don Cagen Orchestra will perform at the President Obama Home States Ball; Maroon 5 and the James Gerard Orchestra will appear at the Vice President Biden Home States Ball; and James Taylor and Liquid Pleasure with Kenny Mann will rock out at the Eastern Ball.

• Sunday’s Vote Latino soiree will have Marc Anthony, Rosario Dawson and Paulina Rubio as guests.

• Michelle Obama and Jill Biden are hosting the “KIds’ Inaugural: We are the Future” concert Monday the Verizon Center. Performing at the event, which will be broadcast on the Disney Channel at 8 p.m. Monday, are Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers.

• Network BET is throwing an inaugural ball at the Mandarin Oriental hotel on Tuesday at which Wyclef Jean is slated to perform.

• The Marriott Wardman Park Hotel will be the site for both American Music Balls: The Urban Ball, with Ludacris, Big Boi and Cedric the Entertainer; and the Legends Ball, with Dionne Warwick, Chaka Khan and George Clinton.

• The Eracism Foundation to end racism’s Purple Ball’s guest list will include Lou Gossett Jr., John Cusack, Ed Harris, Ashley Judd and Susan Sarandon.

(Photo by RJ Mickelson/amNY)

The Miss America pageant is going to be live on TLC on Saturday, January 24, and hosted by Mario Lopez. In advance of the show, TLC sent a couple copies of the Miss America party planning kit, complete with a sash, face mask, bouquet, hair spray and a compact.

We here at amNewYork are big fans of costumes, as it seems, and two of our editors, who will remain nameless, have dressed up in preparation for the show. We hope to enter our editors next year. We think we have a pretty good chance of winning.

By Ed Condran
Special to amNewYork

• Sommore is at Carolines Friday through Sunday., Fri. 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.; Sat. 8 p.m., 10:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m.; Sun. 8 p.m., $45

There’s less of Sommore these days. The actress-comic dropped 11 pounds in 2008 courtesy of the reality series “Celebrity Fit Club.”

“I loved doing that show,” says Sommore, aka Lori Ann Rambough. “I got to have fun and lose weight.”

When the Trenton, N.J., native returns to Manhattan, she’s expecting more of the former and less of the latter.

A scene from "Mary and Max."

By Robert Levin
Special to amNewYork

As the American economy falters and the film industry downsizes, it’s comforting to know that the Sundance Film Festival is still going strong. The 2009 edition of Robert Redford’s annual mountaintop paean to independent cinema features a robust selection of 118 feature films and plenty of accompanying star-studded events.

Look for our coverage of the festival, which starts Thursday and runs through Jan. 25, in print and on amNY.com. Here are five of the most hotly anticipated films premiering in Park City, all of which should find their way to NYC theaters in the coming month:

(via)

This seems about right.

Leonardo DiCaprio and his mother Irmelin (Photos: Getty)

There’s nothing like a bubbly doggie bag. Leonardo DiCaprio’s mother Irmelin, Salma Hayke and other Golden Globe-goers were spotted swiping Moet & Chandon bottles from their tables. “People were making mad dashes to get them,” an insider said.

Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 1984 movie "Terminator" (AP)

By Kara Warner and Julie Gordon

The Governator may be making his big-screen come-back, baby.

There will be an Arnold Schwarzenegger “component” to this summer’s “Terminator: Salvation” movie, director McG revealed at an event in Manhattan Monday night. Sadly, McG just winked and said he couldn’t reveal anything further, leaving us wondering whether Schwarzenegger’s part will include archived or new footage.

The California governor played the titular character in the three previous “Terminator” films, which spanned from 1984 to 2003. His most recent film was 2004’s “Around the World in 80 Days,” co-starring Jackie Chan.

The PG-13 “Salvation,” which is slated to hit theaters May 22, stars Christian Bale (“The Dark Knight”) as an adult John Connor in 2018. The film also stars Bryce Dallas Howard, rapper Common and AntonYelchin.

I got a copy of a new book coming out on Thursday called "11,002 Things to be Miserable About" by Lia and Nick Romeo in today which is in a way a response to the book, "14,000 Things to Be Happy About."

The book is really thick, probably about an inch and a half thick, and it's got a black cover and the edges of the book are also darkened, with a frowning face on the long side edge of the pages. It really is a dour looking tome.

By Emily Hulme

Damon Weaver is a Florida fifth-grader who got to interview Joe Biden earlier this year. He also talked to Caroline Kennedy back in October. He's obviously a mover and shaker.

Naturally, his next target was president-elect Obama, who initially turned him down. Even after the Miami Heat vouched for him.

Weaver even released a video that was a direct plea to Obama, and was still turned down. Though "Congressman Alcee Hastings is giving us three tickets to the inauguration and Senator Bill Nelson has invited us to an inauguration party," according to his school.

But the latest development, Gawker (well, MSBC) is reporting that Weaver has been granted press credentials for the inauguration. "My mother always taught me to never give up and shoot for your dreams," Weaver says in the video.

Way to go, kid.

You can see all the videos by the KEC news team here.

By Emily Hulme

My favorite web comic references my favorite newspaper comic today.

By Emily Hulme

Let's learn! According to Wikipedia, an ambigram is "a graphical figure that spells out one or more words not only in its form as presented, but also in another direction or orientation."

So check it. The 20th anniversary edition of "The Princess Bride" uses one.

(via)

By Emily Hulme

Neil Patrick Harris was on SNL this weekend, and from what I saw, he did all right. This sketch in particular was especially funny.

I don't want to give away my favorite part, but it occurs right at the five-minute mark.

By Emily Hulme

This event sounds dorky and awesome ... awesrky? ... dorksome? ... Anyway, the recap band Previously on Lost performs at Bell House Jan. 21, before the premiere of season five of currently on "Lost."

PoL is pretty funny, and very accurate in their recaps. Here's "Be My Constant":

In addition to the performance and subsequent screening of "Lost," there will be drink specials and gift bags given away to the 4th, 8th, 15th, 16th, 23rd, and 42nd person through the door. If you don't know why that's funny, you probably won't have too much fun at this event.

If, on the other hand, you like what you hear, you can download "Just Wink" at The Boston Phoenix.

I'll see you there!

By Emily Hulme

Last month we reported that this loathsome duo would be on "How I Met Your Mother." Now the news is out that they will be joined by Kim Kardashian, a woman famous for having a big butt, as far as I can tell. Well, that's enviable.

Here's a promo:

(via)

It does seem like the show is poking fun at the whole idea of this kind of celebrity, so I'm ok-ish with that, but these kind of guest stars just seem to run against the genuine nature of the show ... at least what it was two seasons ago.

I don't want to just follow the herd, but it really does seem like the show has declined substantially in quality this season.

By Julie Gordon

Could there be a soon end to Michaela McManus' stint as the new assistant district attorney on "Law and Order: Special Victims Unit?" Well, it sure looks that way.

While McManus' character Kim Greyleck is rumored to be on assignment in D.C., a familiar "SVU" face is returning. Former ADA Alexandra Cabot (Stephanie March) is out of the witness protection program and back on the small screen for six episodes starting Feb. 17.

"SVU is like an old flame. Every time I run into it I think, 'Hmmm.....what if?' I look forward to spending some time working with a production that has always been so rewarding for me," March said in a statement.

No word on what will happen to March or McManus after those six episodes.

Ann Coulter (Getty)

By Julie Gordon

The women of “The View” are seething over the show’s main guest Monday — conservative pundit Ann Coulter.

“Why are you such a b----?” is the question co-host Joy Behar wants to ask Coulter, she said at an event for the New York Times Arts & Leisure Weekend.

Co-host/comedian Whoopi Goldberg took a low blow at Coulter — literally.

“Are you blond on the top and on the bottom?” Goldberg sarcastically said of the question she’d pose to Coulter.

Coulter is on the ABC talk-show to promote her controversial new book “Guilty: Liberal ‘Victims’ and Their Assault on America,” whose second chapter focuses on how most of society’s major problems are the result of single motherhood.

Always the diplomat, “View” co-host and executive producer Barbara Walters said Coulter was invited on “The View” to represent a variety of opinions.

On the other end of the guest spectrum is Tom Cruise, who the five “View” co-hosts could not praise enough. Cruise was on the show last Friday to promote his new World War II-era film “Valkyrie,” took photos with and signed autographs for everyone in the audience who wanted one.

By Emily Hulme

OK, this game is just plain mean.

It's Tetris, but "the game looks at your playing field and determines which piece you will probably want most and then .... denies it to you." It's really hard. And more addicting than regular Tetris, even though it doesn't have that background music.

By Emily Hulme

I always enjoy what "free culture" advocate and Stamford law professor Lawrence Lessig has to say, and Thursday night he was on "The Colbert Report" talking about his new book, "Remix." As part of their conversation, Colbert forbade anyone from"tak[ing] this interview right here and remix[ing] it with some great dance beat." Lessig, on the other hand, encouraged the same.

Which, of course, people did. You can see the original interview here. Below is a video remix of the interview. Lessig is tracking more of them on his blog.

This one is cool too:

The Colbert Report ::: Remix feat Lawrence Lessig (Eclectic Method Mix) from Eclectic Method on Vimeo.

Left, Anne Hathaway in 1996; Right, the actress in 2009 (Getty)

By Julie Gordon

I'll admit it -- I saw chick flick "Bride Wars" this weekend. And while most of the lines and scenes didn't make a lasting impression, one thing did: Anne Hathaway's skinny body.

Right before "The Devil Wears Prada" came out in 2006, Anne told me she wears a size six in clothing. And I really think she was telling the truth! At the time, the 5'8" actress looked healthy, curvy (at least according to Hollywood standards) and was even busty. Further proof: Her topless scene in 2005's "Brokeback Mountain."

Sure, she's gotten thinner over the years, but now? In body-hugging clothing in "Bride Wars," Anne looked her skinniest ever. Almost to a Kate Hudson degree.

By Scott A. Rosenberg

Your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is getting a new crime-fighting partner – President-elect Barack Obama.

In issue No. 583 of “Amazing Spider-Man,” coming out on Wednesday – inauguration day - Obama and Spidey team up to battle long-time villain The Chameleon in a story by writer Zeb Wells and artist Todd Nauck and a special variant cover by Phil Jimenez.

By Ron Bishow
Special to amNewYork

If New Yorkers think the Rangers are tough, they’ve never seen a cowboy get thrown off and then stepped on by an angry animal. But that can all change this weekend when the Professional Bull Riders bring the Built Ford Tough Series Invitational to Madison Square Garden.

How it works
The competition is the elite series of the PBR, featuring 45 of the best bull riders in the world trying to stay on the back of a 2,000-pound bull for eight seconds.

Eight seconds may not sound like a lot, but it’s an eternity on top of a bull — and, if a rider can’t stay on that long, the score doesn’t count.

Bride Wars
2 stars
Directed by Gary Winick
Starring Anne Hathaway, Kate Hudson, Candice Bergen, Kristen Johnston, Bryan Greenberg

By Mina Hochberg

Just months after starring in “Rachel Getting Married,” a movie that will probably earn her the first Oscar nomination of her career, Anne Hathaway turns around and stars in “Bride Wars.”

This frilly chick flick is as consequential as a summer beach read, but it’s not as bad as “Norbit,” whose awfulness may, according to experts, have hurt Eddie Murphy’s Oscar chances last year for his role in “Dreamgirls.”

Hathaway and Kate Hudson star as Emma and Liv, two friends who’ve sworn since childhood that they would one day get married at the Plaza Hotel. When they get engaged on the same day, their big days are accidentally scheduled on the same date.

By Emily Hulme

March 24 is Ada Lovelace Day, a blogday devoted to celebrating women in technology. To spread the word, Suw Charman-Anderson is circulating a pledge to "publish a blog post on Tuesday 24th March about a woman in technology whom I admire but only if 1,000 other people will do the same." Why? In her words:

Undoubtedly it’s a complex issue, but recent research may shed some light: Psychologist Penelope Lockwood discovered that women need to see female role models more than men need to see male ones.

Well, that’s a relatively simple problem to begin to address. If women need female role models, let’s come together to highlight the women in technology that we look up to. Let’s create new role models and make sure that whenever the question “Who are the leading women in tech?” is asked, that we all have a list of candidates on the tips of our tongues.

Thus was born Ada Lovelace Day...

I love it, and The Tangent is on board. As a engineering school drop-out, I can tell you that the science and technology worlds could use some fem-positivism. (Just to be clear, gender issues were not why I dropped out; laziness was.)

Is this really entertainment-related? Well, yes! People in technology, some of them women, created computers; computers begat the internet; internet begat blogs; blogs begat the entertainment that keeps you goofing off at work all day. Ergo: women in tech created the Tangent (sorry, Scott). (Maybe my Ada Lovelace Day piece will be about myself.) (It won't.)

By Emily Hulme

AMC has put the entire run of the '60s television series "The Prisoner" online!

I remember when PBS reran this series in the '80s or early-'90s. I would watch it with my dad, mostly because I was allowed to stay up late to watch it. And then, of course, I would always fall asleep before the episode ended, so my memories of the show are pretty weird. I mean, weirder than the show was meant to be.

Anyway, AMC has the show up in honor of their forthcoming remake, which is scheduled to air later this year. Sir Ian McKellan is blogging about his roll in the remake, if you're interested.

Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick (Getty)

By Julie Gordon

Well, Star magazine is at it again with the Sarah Jessica Parker/Matthew Broderick breakup biz. Last summer, the mag wrote that Broderick was having an affair; now, Parker allegedly visited a midtown real estate broker to find her own apartment.

“They’re essentially living separate lives,” a source tells Star.

But, really, midtown? Over the summer, SJP told us she loves her West Village neighborhood, even though the “Sex and the City” tour bus goes right down her street (she lives a block from “Carrie’s” pad). And we just can’t picture her giving up her West Village townhouse for the Lincoln Tunnel.

Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt earlier this winter (Getty)

By Julie Gordon

Made-by-TV couple Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt aren’t rushing to legalize their Mexico wedding ceremony.

“We’re gonna maybe have a bigger wedding for friends and family, but I’m not really sure,” Montag told us before hosting a party at Christian Audigier The Nightclub in Las Vegas during the holidays. “We’re just kind of taking it as it is. We had our
elopement and to me that counts. And to me that means a lot.”

When asked for a timeline, Pratt said, “One day, [there’s] no rush. In my world, we’re married.”

But when/if the “Hills” duo does tie the knot in the U.S., it would “definitely” be televised for the “fans and haters,” Pratt said.

By Scott A. Rosenberg

Here are some extra questions and answers with Henry Alford, author of "How to Live: A Search for Wisdom from Old People (While They Are Still On Earth)." For the full story, click here.

Did your mom read the book?
My mom read it. She likes it. She very modestly wonders what the hell she’s doing in a book about wise people. But, maybe that’s like Socrates, who’s the most famous example of wisdom studies and he ran around Athens talking to supposedly wise people and determined that most people think they’re wise and they’re not. But Socrates didn’t think he was wise and therefore paradoxically, was. So maybe my mother was the mini Socrates of North Carolina.

(Photo by RJ Mickelson)

For more with Henry Alford, click here.

Henry Alford is at Barnes & Noble Upper West Side on Thursday at 7 p.m.

By Scott A. Rosenberg

Wisdom is a nebulous term.

“There are nine million cajillion definitions,” says Henry Alford, author of “How to Live: A Search for Wisdom from Old People (While They Are Still on This Earth).” ”I think William James nailed it when he said, ‘Wisdom is knowing what to overlook.’ That gets as close to it. It’s such a big squishy topic that it’s really hard to nail it down into a succinct definition. It’s like saying, ‘What is beauty? What is truth?’”

But that didn’t stop Alford, 47, from his search. For his book, he spoke with more than 200 seniors in an attempt to discern wisdom, including the famous - Edward Albee, Doris "Granny D." Haddock – and regular people, including his mother and stepfather, who become major players in the book.

Dear Scott,

Now we don't have to find a drummer for our band. This beat maker thingy is awesome. Here's a screenshot of something I cooked up.

From Emily

(Via EyeBeam who points out it's a Java script and therefore playable on your iPhone.)

By Emily Hulme

I'm sure you've noticed that I have something of an obsession with the show "Lost." But I'm not the only one. And, guys, don't worry. For those of you who the wait gets ever more tedious the closer we get to Jan. 21, the Paley Center is here. They recently held a poll to determine the best two episodes and are planning to screen them Jan. 17: 'Lost' Saturday.

At this point, reservations are sold out, but there may be stand-by tickets available.

Oh, you want to know the poll's winners? "Through The Looking Glass" and "Walkabout." (The entire breakdown of the results is here.)

"Looking Glass" is one of my favorites, too, if only for the part where Sayid breaks that dude's neck with his hands behind his back, literally.

Oh, and the Charlie part is good, too.

By Emily Hulme

The Southern Mothers offer up an R&B ode to everyone's favorite trashy teen drama. The lyrics are hysterically crass, and show the writers' deep familiarity with the show, dropping mentions to the Ostroff Center, gambling with Dorota (as collateral, not as a partner), Vitamin Water parties and dating secret Dukes. You can find the annotated lyrics here (<--Though it was Blair that dated the duke, not Serena, as noted on this site) .

"The Real World: Brooklyn" cast, from left to right, Devyn (holding dog Brooklyn), Sarah, Chet, Ryan, Baya, Katelyn, Scott and J.D. (RJ Mickelson/amNY)

By Julie Gordon

After months of outrage among Brooklyn bars, speculation and talk, "The Real World: Brooklyn" is finally premiering (Wednesday at 10 p.m. on MTV).

amNewYork recently talked to the eight castmembers and took a tour of the giant Red Hook loft the roommates shared (and got completely lost in the relatively isolated neighborhood where it stands).

Click here to read interviews with the crew and see their photos, plus take a virtual tour of the incredible space the Real Worlders called home.

Click here to read about which roommates are staying in New York — and who is living together in Stuyvesant Town!

Click here to read a Q&A with the executive producer about why MTV chose Brooklyn.

By Scott A. Rosenberg'

Westsider Books is your classic over-stuffed used bookshop (Ryan Thatcher)

From 1890 through to the 1960s, the area along and surrounding Fourth Avenue between Union Square and Astor Place was known as Book Row and was littered with countless used bookstores, large and small, filled with millions of secondhand tomes.

Much like any other classic treasure of New York City, Book Row fell to the wayside, with big box bookstores reigning supreme, though The Strand, opened in 1927, is still standing as a last vestige of a bygone time in it’s Broadway and 12th St. location it’s inhabited since the late 1950s.

Even though Book Row can only be found in the history books, New York City still has its share of used bookstores. Here’s a look at a few of the second-hand shops around Manhattan.

(Check out some of the used book store treasures we found here.)

Patrick Swayze with Barbara Walters at his California ranch on Dec. 6. (AP)

By Julie Gordon

Actor Patrick Swayze reveals details about his year from “hell” Wednesday night on “20/20,” breaking his silence about his battle with pancreatic cancer.

“There’s a lot of fear here,” Swayze, 56, tells Barbara Walters in his first interview since his diagnosis, which was excerpted Tuesday on ABCNews.com. “There’s a lot of stuff going on. Yeah, I’m scared. Yeah, I’m angry. Yeah, I’m [asking], ‘Why me?’”

The “Dirty Dancing” actor’s sickness didn’t stop him from taking on a role while undergoing chemotherapy — as an FBI agent on A&E’s “The Beast,” which premieres Jan. 15.

By Scott A. Rosenberg

(Read our profile of Manhattan's used bookstores here.)

There are a lot of great deals to be found at used bookstores. Here’s a look at what I found spending less than $10 at each establishment. And I didn’t buy all of these, so keep an eye out.

• Book Off: “Wrigleyville” by Peter Golenbock ($8.50, SC) and “The Ruins” by Scott Smith ($1, SC): A nice look a the lovable losers from Chicago’s North side just in time for the upcoming baseball season, along with a great thriller from the author of “A Simple Plan.”

• Westsider: “Portnoy’s Complaint” by Philip Roth ($4, SC), “The Right to an Answer” by Anthony Burgess ($3, SC) and “Mickey Mouse: The First 50 Years” ($3, booklet): Roth’s classic is a must read and I’d never heard of that Burgess novel, so that was a nice fine. The Mickey Mouse booklet was filled with some interesting old images and is certainly the kind of think you’d never find at a Barnes & Noble.

• Housing Works: “The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat: And Other Clinical Tales” By Oliver Sacks ($6, HC), “Just So Stories” by Rudyard Kipling ($2, SC), “Trinity” by Leon Uris ($1, HC) and “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald ($1, SC): Finding Sacks’ book, in hard cover, for that price is a steal, as are the rest of these. The Uris book is a huge, thick vintage edition that will make you look smarter just by having in on your bookshelf.

• East Village: “A Complete Lowlife” By Ed Brubaker ($9, SC): Before becoming the writer who would killed Captain America, Brubaker was the writer/artist of this now out-of-print graphic novel of semi-autobiographical tales, which was a great deal at this price.

By Emily Hulme

Local comedian and Human Giant Aziz Ansari guest stars on "Scrubs" tonight. You can see a preview of him here.

He's not someone I actually know, but I've been following his career since pretty early on (I have been in the same room with him once or twice; that room was the UCB Theatre) and so it's pretty cool to see him on network TV. Go Aziz!

By Emily Hulme

I found these via my new favorite website Zoomdoggle.

• Armchair Logic has a logic test up. I have an additional question for you:

Given:
a) I got 100%
b) Vulcans are completely logical.

Can we conclude, therefore: I am Mr. Spock?

That seems about right.

• This puzzle is super fun.

OK, so I know it's not too far removed from syndicated schlock like "Hercules" and "Xena," but the new original syndicated show "Legend of the Seeker," which airs on WPIX on Saturdays at 9 p.m. (with the previous week's episode typically shown at 8 p.m.) is a fun time.

Sure the acting is over-the-top and kind of B rated, but there's something really endearing about that in a fantasy show of this caliber. It shouldn't surprise that Sam Raimi, the director of some other fun fantasy flicks like "Evil Dead" and "Spider-Man" has an executive producer credit.

"Legend of the Seeker" is based on Terry Goodkind's long running fantasy novels and since I've never read them, I can't personally comment on whether the show is close to them. But from what I've read on message boards on hulu.com, where the show is available (ideal because the time slot is not conducive with having a social life), it isn't. Who cares though?

The show will have a new episode every Saturday in January and if you're looking for something fun and mindless to watch that'll fill that geeky desire to watch a fantasy show, "Legend of the Seeker" is a good option.

By Emily Hulme

This story from Comedy Central's Insider blog is heartwarming:

Poor Will Pike was vacationing in India with his girlfriend, but had to miss Izzard's show in London last month while recuperating [from injuries sustained trying to escape terrorists during November's Mumbai attacks]. Pike's dad asked the comedian if he could send a note and received a personal hospital visit and concert instead.

Izzard performed his entire 90-minute set for Pike!

The coolest part: "Izzard's spokesperson declared that the star's visit to Will was a private affair and chose not to comment any further." (via One India)

This is just all so gosh darn nice.

By Emily Hulme

I don't know why I'm obsessed with nerdy British television, but it's who I am, and you'll have to accept it. I have, mostly.

Anyway, the big news is that the latest Dr Who has been cast. Matt Smith, the flabbergasted young man in the above video, is the youngest to play the Doctor.

Rumors are also flying that Lily Allen is being considered for the part of the companion. Could be interesting.

By Emily Hulme

Don't worry, guys. According to Gawker, we can expect memoirs this year from American Gladiator Nitro and First Lady Laura Bush. And they say the publishing industry is dying.

By Emily Hulme

If you remember, when we left off before the holiday break, Bart Bass had just died and Chuck was starting to go off the rails; Lily's mother let slip to Rufus that Lily had been pregnant with his baby; Serena went off to Buenos Ares with Aaron, even though Dan was starting to rediscover his feelings for her; Elenore Waldorf married the charming Wallace Shawn Cyrus Rose; and little J and Vanessa got in a tiff over Nate.

Considering it was reported almost a month ago that the actor who plays Aaron Rose is not coming back, we can make some guesses as to where Serena's heart lies.

But who freaking cares about that. We want Chuck! He (in addition to Blair) is the most fascinating character on the show. I'm glad he's finally getting his own A-plot. Tonight, he takes a drug-fueled jaunt to Bangkok.

In other news, my favorite guest star Georgina is coming back, according to Entertainment Weekly. EW's Michael Ausiello also poo poos the rumor that Georgie is Rufus and Lily's love child, which would be pretty gross, considering what happened between Georgina and Dan. As we learned from "Arrested Development," incest doesn't really fly on network television.

Enough rambling. See you tonight. XOXO.

ETA: Wanna be jealous? Check out this diary of a GG extra.

A "Sesame Street" look at the Subway

By Scott A. Rosenberg

Michael Davis is at Barnes & Noble Lincoln Triangle Monday. 7:30 p.m., FREE.

Ask a 2-year-old who the president is and he might know. But if you ask the same child who his favorite celebrity is, he’ll likely have a red, furry answer.

“Elmo is the biggest rock star in the world for 2-year-olds,” says Michael Davis, author of the new book, “Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street.” “They come out of the womb these days saying, ‘Elmo’ somehow. I don’t know how ‘Sesame’ does that.”

By Emily Hulme

So the news is out that JD and co are moving from NBC to ABC for one last season (or more, maybe). I had kind of lost interest in the show in recent seasons, but I'm interested to see how it'll fare after the transition.

Off the top of my head, no show seems to do well after switching networks, though the only concrete example that I can think of is "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," which moved from the WB to UPN in 2001. I watched seasons 6 and 7 ... but I didn't really enjoy them. (Also, completely unnecessary sidebar: I was watching some episodes of "3rd Rock From The Sun" the other day, and I noticed that Anya's "I don't understand you humans and your emotions, and why aren't we talking about MEEE?" is pretty much the same as Dick Soloman's insensitive egoism. Yeah, Anya's a vengeance demon and Dick's an alien, but same same.)

Beyond this, I couldn't think of any other shows that switched networks, which is where my friend Google came in handy. There were a bunch of shows shuffled around on basic cable this year, most notably "Project Runway"'s aborted move from Bravo to Lifetime, but nothing really big ticket. This list was far more interesting. With the exception of "The Edge of Night", most of the shows only lasted a season or two more on their new network. Now, cancellation is not always an indication of bad quality (see "Arrested Development"), but I will say "Family Matters" was pretty much on its last legs when it moved from ABC to CBS in 1997. So, there you go.

By Emily Hulme

I'm a glutton for spoilers, but occasionally I have the willpower to forebear and come to a movie, tv show, what have you, fresh and untainted, and I am currently fighting that battle right now. TV Guide has a review up of the first two episodes of "Lost" season five, but I haven't read beyond the first sentence. I'm sure they don't give anything major away, but I've found that especially with "Lost," going in blind is the best experience. Which hasn't stopped me from eating up the promo videos ABC has been posting, but all they've really told us is, "WE HAVE TO GO BACK!," which we've known since the end of season 3. So, I'm waiting, with the rest of you, to find out what happens on Jan. 21. Unless, of course, I can wrangle a preview copy.

WE HAVE TO GO BACK!

By Emily Hulme

Showrunner Mitch Hurwitz talks about the increasingly likely possibility of an "Arrested Development" movie over at Fancast, strongly implying that Michael Cera is the only holdout, which is not really a surprise. As much as I'd like to see him a part of it, 3 seasons of standout television facing every obstacle imaginable has me convinced that Hurwitz and co. can make due. But, again, I'd be really disappointed not to see what's happened to young, cousin-loving George Michael Bluth.

Also, Will Arnett talked to EW about his love for the show.

Good

Directed by Vicente Amorim
Starring Viggo Mortensen, Jodie Whittaker, Jason Isaacs

By Mina Hochberg
amNewYork movie critic

The last in a string of Holocaust movies to come out in the past few months, “Good” wastes a talented cast on an overbearing story that’s awkwardly executed.

Set in Germany on the cusp of World War II, Viggo Mortensen stars as John Halder, a college literature professor juggling a job, an ailing mother and a wife with an unspecified psychological condition that’s reduced her to a meek wisp of a person.