TV Talk: Last Night

FlashForward - I really, really like the idea of this show, but I'm finding that the execution is a little off. I'm in it for the season, definitely - I have way too much experience with complex and mysterious TV arcs and way-out concepts to give up so early! - I just wished I liked it a little bit more. I have identified one issue I have with the show: Joseph Fiennes. He manages to suck the life out of every scene he is in, I swear. And that's not so good, considering he's the lead. Also not so good: the focus on his wife's vision and the "other man". Don't they have WAY more important things to deal with - like a hospital full of trauma patients and a world-wide catastrophe - more important than whether or not she's going to end up cheating on him? She's an ER doctor and he's an FBI agent heading the investigation into the cause of the worldwide blackout and it's only been 3 days since it happened. In reality, they probably wouldn't even have seen each other yet, let alone gone home every night or visited each other's offices DURING THE DAY. Shouldn't these 2 be working?

Fringe - I thought Fringe had another strong outing last night. The bomber story was suspenseful, and there were some great character moments (especially the quieter lab scenes between Walter and Astrid). The only weak part was the trip to Baghdad. Peter is a tough sell as a badass, for me, and that guy forgave him awfully quickly, don't you think?

So I hear David Letterman's been in the news? (You can read about it here - sorry, CBS removed the video from YouTube so I can't embed Dave's, um, announcement here). My opinion: It's pretty crummy of him to cheat on his girlfriend, but he gets high marks from me for standing up to the extortionist and coming clean on national TV. He'd never make it as a politician, that's for damn sure!

Is there such a thing as too much of a good thing?

I say no.

Movieline has posted 2 awesome interviews this week. How happy am I?

Check them out:

Nathan Fillion

Clive Owen

I say it again: H-O-T.

So have you all heard about the big Gerard Butler dog fight that went down in NYC the other day? I hadn't until I came across this article. Apparently, Butler's pug was not leashed and it ran over to a greyhound who was, and then the greyhound attacked the pug and he had to separate them and the greyhound's owners are saying he assaulted their dog. Okaaaayyy. Yes, his dog should have been on a leash, but she spent 3 hours at the vet getting patched up, so I'd say he had no choice but to get rough with the dogs.

But none of this is important...What I want to point out is: Gerard Butler has a PUG, people. A pug!! Like he wasn't attractive enough already.

ETA: And one more thing. Do you really think he helped those people with their vet bill (bottom of article), or is that just a publicist spin job?

Bruno and friends.

I agree with the MTV Movies Blog:



This is one of the best celebrity photos ever. According to the MTV blog, that's Eastwood's wife on Bruno's back. HA!

There is a portrait in his attic that is aging instead.

Dude, this photo was taking taken a day or two ago in London, I believe. Sting is going to be 58 years old in October.

58, People!

Damn.

A glimpse into the last few months of Michael Jackson's life.

The Daily Mail UK is a ginormous tabloid, and so this article must be read with that in mind; still, it has the ring of truth about it:

Many in his entourage spoke frankly to me – and that made it possible for me to write authoritatively last December that Michael had six months to live, a claim that, at the time, his official spokesman, Dr Tohme Tohme, called a ‘complete fabrication’. The singer, he told the world, was in ‘fine health’. Six months and one day later, Jackson was dead.

I see that his mother has been given temporary custody of the kids. I hope she keeps them away from that monster of a father Joe Jackson.

"I thank the Good Lord I have a thick skull and I have a feeling this may have been my first and final curtain call at the Tonys"

Bret Michaels addresses his now infamous Tonys performance with an open letter on his website:

I had a great time at the Tonys right up until I got blindsided, I must admit it was a little blurry after that. In hindsight, there is no doubt I got my bell rung, unfortunately it has been posted and perhaps funny to watch, but I can assure you it has been painful to experience. In all honesty I had absolutely no idea what struck my head. Upon impact I thought a piece of the lighting rig had fallen out of the ceiling and as I fell back it seemed like my head struck the stage and I blacked out for a second. When I opened my eyes I noticed a large set prop coming down straight for me. I immediately pushed myself out of the way and amidst the chaos I laid on the floor and asked "what the hell just happened?"

Aw, now I feel kinda bad for laughing. Well, just a little.

It's no wonder Phil Spector wears a wig.

Sweet Jesus. I miss the Hair Bear Bunch days.

Excuse me while I throw up.

Mickey Rourke wrestles Victoria's Secret model 32 years his junior into submission.

I don't think that guy has washed his hair since 1992.

This story would be so much less confusing if the other guy wasn't named Jack.

Will Kiefer Sutherland head-butt delay '24'?

The action-drama is set to start production on its eighth season at the end of the month, but star Kiefer Sutherland is caught up in an action-drama of his own that threatens to interfere with production.

Sutherland allegedly noggin-knocked clothing designer Jack McCollough at a New York club on Monday night. No charges have been filed, though The New York Daily News and The New York Post are reporting that prosecutors plan to charge the actor with minor assault and that Sutherland intends to surrender as early as tomorrow. Fox, 24 producer 20th TV and Sutherland's publicist had no comment.

While this made for a fun blog post yesterday, it really isn't very funny if he was drunk when it happened. And I really don't care if 24 is delayed, as long as he gets his sh*t together. There were times when I was watching 24 this season where I swore he was drunk. I wonder if the writers exposed Jack to the bio-toxin in order to disguise the slurring? I hope not.

Did you know?

Did you know that Mr. Jones from Fringe is Richard Harris' son (Jared Harris)? I did not know that!

And now that I do, well, yeah, I can totally see it.

And they say chivalry is dead.

Kiefer Sutherland Headbutts Fashion Designer At NYC Event:

According to reports, the scuffle between Sutherland and McCollough broke out after the designer was seen knocking over actress Brooke Shields.

The incident, which was witnessed by Kiefer and a slew of other attendees, prompted the "24" actor to rush over and assist Shields. Sources tell PIX News, when Sutherland demanded McCollough apologize for the incident, he refused and immediately dismissed the actor. McCollough, who is one half of the fashion design duo Proenza Schouler, was seen shoving Sutherland who responded with a headbutt.

I know it's wrong, but that's hot.

In what alternate universe does that fasion designer live that he thought he could lay the smackdown on Jack??

Moving on to the 80s...

Victoria Principal accused of pointing a gun at her maid:

The 59-year-old star, who played Pam Ewing on 'Dallas', was alleged to have become furious after the housekeeper, Maribel Banegas, took too long walking the dog.

Banegas said she had had to wait because the pet wouldn’t do its 'business', at which point Principal fetched the weapon and pointed it at her.

Oh, so many jokes here...Was it Pam who really shot J.R.? Will her defense be that it was all just a dream?

And the idiot celebrity parade marches on...

The Hills' "actress" Lauren Conrad talks about her most challenging TV role yet:

"...Conrad confessed that she needed an acting coach to get through her lines, which contained -- as she explained to bloggers and journalists during a phone group hug call yesterday -- "a lot of facts and a lot of big words."...

"I had to say it as if it was coming to me very easily," Conrad said during the phoner, which was attended by The WaPo TeamTV's "Hills" correspondent, Emily Yahr.

"I had to research some of [the words] because the acting coach I worked with told me if I really understood what I was talking about, it would come through a little more true."

I think I just got a little dumber reading that.

One more kid and he can open a garden center!

TV  chef Jamie Oliver and his wife welcomed their third daughter.  Read his tweets below - from the bottom up - to see what they named her.

Life with Jack Nicholson and Ryan O' Neal

Angelica Huston's baby sister writes beautifully about growing up around a famous sister and her even more famous boyfriends:

"Look, Allegra. Come and see this.” Nana held up a copy of Vogue. She flattened it open on the dining table. Underneath her weathered fingers was a photo of a dark-haired girl with her hand to her cheek, gazing soulfully out at me.

“That’s your sister. That’s Anjelica.” I knew I had a sister and her name was Anjelica, but that was about all. I hadn’t seen her since the turbulent, forgotten months in London after Mum died when I was four. She was nearly as lost to me as Mum was. She had inherited our mother’s beauty, I knew, and was modelling in Paris and New York.

After Mum’s death in a car crash I had lived for a while in Ireland in the manor house of our father, John Huston, the film director. I didn’t see much of him. He’d split from Mum, a former prima ballerina, long before she died. Now I was living with her Italian-American parents in Long Island.

I was eight when Anjelica came to visit. She was 21, taller than anyone else and thin, with the bony angles of someone who was important in the world. Neither of us knew what to say to the other. I showed off my bicycle-riding skills, waving with one hand. She didn’t look impressed.

Viggo Mortensen: first Good - and then goodbye? - Times Online

Viggo Mortensen: first Good - and then goodbye?: "“In the past week I’ve been from LA to Japan to Korea to Poland to here,” he hisses, describing in near disbelief the travel itinerary for his current promotional tour. “It’s ridiculous! It’s not a healthy way to be. But, as it happens, I’m taking measures to change that.” Which are? “No more movies. I haven’t said yes to one in over a year. I’ve been in all these well-received movies and it seems like I should be doing some more, but there’s other things I want to do. It’s not the right time.”"

I totally respect his decision to leave the movie business, and I can't say I really blame him.

But I also really hope he doesn't!

What a waste of a perfectly good looking guy.

By now, Christian Bale's rant on the set of Terminator: Salvation is all over the Internet and entertainment television, and I'm sure you've heard it, but have you seen this?



And now, we dance!

George Clooney must have sold his soul to the devil.

That is the only explanation I can find for his enduring, and INCREASING, handsomeness.

(AP Photo)

I hope Heaven is lined with rich, Corinthian Leather.

Ricardo Montalban has died at the age of 88. Rest in peace, sir. You seemed like a classy guy.

Here he is in the two roles I know him best for - Khan (KHHAAAN!!) in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and, of course, Mr. Roarke on Fantasy Island.





Smiles, everyone. Smiles!